


Piece by Piece: After Stricture

by obscuredbyshadows



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alpha Draco Malfoy, Alpha Hermione Granger, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Dom/sub, Dubious Consent, F/F, F/M, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2020-07-23 13:03:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20008747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obscuredbyshadows/pseuds/obscuredbyshadows
Summary: Stricture: old, old magic that prevents any word or action that may reveal the hidden dynamics of the Wizarding World until such a time as a Wizard presents.Harry has just presented as an Omega in a Wizarding World where everything is determined by your designation and your involvement in a Coven.  Omegas might be precious to Covens, but its not exactly easy navigating life as one.  Harry will have to work it out.  Piece by piece.





	1. Presentation

Harry stifled a noise of discomfort as he shifted on the bench he was sharing with his Potions partner. Hermione cast him a quick glance as she processed the not quite successfully muffled sound, then focused again on the rather complicated brew in front of them. Harry tried to powder the horn in front of him as finely as required by the recipe, but his hands were trembling and he knew he was fighting a losing battle. With a sigh he nudged his work over to Hermione who gave him a somewhat aggrieved look but took over the task without complaint. Trying to make himself useful, he ignored his sudden chills and the way that his body had suddenly started to produce an unusual amount of sweat, and stood up to go gather the next batch of ingredients. 

He brushed against Malfoy at the ingredients table, who reached out to steady him when Harry stumbled. Malfoy had been on much better behavior since they had begun their seventh year; although by no means friendly, he had stopped taunting Harry and his friends at every available opportunity and seemed to be working off a goal of just ignoring them as much as possible instead. 

“Watch it Potter,” Malfoy said, even as he released Harry’s arm after steadying him. Harry opened his mouth to apologize but a wave of dizziness passed over him again and he swayed. Malfoy’s eyes narrowed at this, and a keen gaze swept over Harry, taking in the swaying, the sheen of sweat, and the tremors that seemed to pass through him every few seconds. 

“Granger,” Malfoy raised his voice abruptly, reaching out again to clasp under Harry’s elbow, holding him upright even as he continued to sway. “Potter needs the Hospital Wing.” 

Hermione looked over from where she was sitting at the table Harry had just abandoned and widened her eyes as she took in the situation. “Yes,” she responded. “Thank you Malfoy. Professor, I will need to excuse myself and Harry from the rest of this class.” 

Snape, sitting at the front of the room and observing his students’ behavior, only nodded. 

Hermione had risen and walked over to where Harry and Malfoy were standing, significantly apart from the rest of the class working on their Potions, who had also paused to observe the small drama, but had mostly re-focused on their bubbling cauldrons. “My thanks, Malfoy.” 

Malfoy waited until she had grasped Harry’s arm before withdrawing. “Congratulations are in order, Granger,” he murmured quietly, nodding his head in a small gesture of respect. “May Merlin smile on you and yours.” 

Hermione’s eyes widened slightly in surprise but her composure didn’t break. “And the same to yours, Malfoy,” she responded, as they both ignored a confused Harry who couldn’t decide whether to demand an answer as to why his impending trip to the Hospital Wing was generating congratulations from his nemesis to his closest friend or just to demand that the trip become more immediate. 

His body answered for him as his vision grayed at the edges and he slumped slightly, making Hermione let out a small sound of alarm before wrapping her arm around his torso and guiding him out of the classroom. 

***  
“You are undergoing your Presentation, Mr. Potter,” Madame Pomfrey informed the Gryffindor as he sipped on yet another Potion she had handed to him after settling him in a cot. Hermione had settled in a chair next to his bed and did not look like she intended to leave any time soon and, strangely, Madame Pomfrey had made no protest at her presence. 

“Presentation?” Harry asked, confused.   
Madame Pomfrey looked over at Hermione. “I assume you would like to tell him?” 

Hermione nodded decisively. “I would, but I would prefer to wait for my Second.”

“That’s fine. He’ll need to be here overnight regardless and I must inform the COA. They will surely also send a representative to talk to him.” 

“Is that necessary, Madame?” 

“It’s standard procedure, Miss Granger. The Headmaster will be coming over to speak to you both as well, I expect.” 

“I would like my Sponsor to be present as well, then.” 

“That is understandable, of course.” 

Harry had sat through the dialogue growing more and more confused. He was also at about his wit’s end with being ignored as though he wasn’t here when the conversation was clearly about him. He finally burst out, “Second? COA? Sponsor? Hermione, what is going on? What’s happening to me?” 

Hermione’s gaze softened as she locked eyes with him, reaching out the grasp his hand gently. “Ron is my Second, Harry. And my Sponsor is Mrs. Weasley. I am an Alpha and as your closest Alpha friend, you are expected to join my Coven, which is why Madame Pomfrey is letting me stay with you right now. The COA is the Council of Omega Affairs, and if they are sending a representative to talk to you, I would prefer if Mrs. Weasley is present to provide me guidance. I’ve never registered an Omega before. ” 

“An Omega?” Harry asked, somewhat dazed and also feeling suddenly exhausted, eyes drooping as he struggled to maintain eye contact with his friend. 

“What you are, Harry. That’s what you’ve presented,” she leaned forward, suddenly earnest. “I promise, Harry, this wasn’t about keeping you in the dark. I know you’re confused right now, but what you’re feeling now is something that everyone newly presented feels. We aren’t allowed to discuss these things with neutrals. But now we can tell you everything.” 

“Which you can do after Mr. Potter has had some time to rest,” the healer interjected. “His body is undergoing a fairly dramatic change and the sleeping draught I just gave him will allow him to process those changes with the least amount of discomfort.” 

“Sleeping draught?” 

And then he fell asleep. 

***

“It’s called the Stricture. It’s ancient magic, passed down from our earliest ancestors. There’s no Wizard on Earth who can break it and many who have tried. It basically creates an information barrier between those who have presented, as you just have, and the un-presented, what we refer to as neutrals, mostly children below the age of presentation, muggles, and the rare magical person who lacks a biological secondary gender. The information barrier does not allow us to even use the terms Alpha, Beta, and Omega in the hearing of a neutral, and it prohibits us from showcasing Coven relationships in their line of sight. I am sure you have noticed that your friends have been a bit more closed-off to you this year, my boy. That wasn’t to be cruel, but it is because you are one of the youngest of your year, which means that while everyone else has been negotiating the terms of their Covens, you have been…enjoying the last taste of your childhood.” 

Dumbledore’s speech had the tone of something that had been said more than a few times, and Harry was starting to believe that this really was a situation that had not been conspired against him. And it was true that his friends had been a bit standoffish this year. They hadn’t been…ignoring him… per se, but they had been spending a lot more time together without him. He had thought at first it was just Hermione and Ron’s budding romantic relationship and had worked hard not to feel like a third wheel. It was almost a relief to find out that there was this additional factor at play. 

“Can you explain more about Covens, sir?” 

Dumbledore smiled at him, clearly pleased that he didn’t sound angry. “Yes, of course. Covens are at the very heart of how the adult Wizarding World operates. All presented Wizards join Covens which are formulated around a Coven leader — someone who has presented Alpha, such as your friend Miss Granger. Coven leaders are almost always Alphas, though there have been rare cases of Betas taking the lead when something has happened to the Alpha founder. An Alpha, like Miss Granger, will then seek out Betas to fill the ranks of her Coven, and will select a Second, usually her most trusted Beta, like your Mr. Weasley. The sizes of Covens vary wildly and largely depend on the strength of the Alpha as a leader but also have something to do with whether or not they are able to attract an Omega. 

“The vast majority of presented witches and wizards are Betas, about six out of every ten wizards. Out of that remaining four, three usually present Alpha, and form their own covens, while the remaining wizard will present Omega. Because Omegas are so few in number, they are precious in our world and the main reason the Coven system began in the first place was to ensure the protection of their Omegas. While our modern society has Covens of all types and dynamics, the original Coven was formed around Alpha and Omega pairs.” 

“What your Headmaster has not yet mentioned is that Covens can be rampant with Omega abuse,” the cranky looking Ministry official spoke up suddenly. The man had been sitting in a chair across the room from the rest of them, dressed in drab brown robe and looking entirely uninterested in the proceedings. He had a large black portfolio in his hands that he had previously been engrossed in when Harry had woken up to find his hospital room quite filled with people. At the official’s words, the rest of the room swiveled to appraise him and he continued without much ado. “Which is why the COA registers every new Omega and ensures that they are being properly cared for.”

Harry bristled, “I’m not a child. I’ll care for myself.” 

“I think you’ll find that its not quite that simple, Mr. Potter,” the official responded, looking him over condescendingly. “Omegas don’t exactly have the … defenses … to properly care for themselves if an Alpha takes it upon themselves to undermine those efforts.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry snapped. 

Hermione jumped into the encroaching train wreck bravely. “Sir, we’re very happy to have Harry register and will comply with all your rules and expectations. But if you don’t mind terribly, it’s been a long day for my Coven and I think we’ll let Harry process some of this information. Surely you remember how overwhelmed you were at your own Presenting?” 

“Miss…Granger, was it?” the official stood now to approach Harry’s bed: Mrs Weasley, who had been holding Harry’s hand and smiling at him in that way she had - like he was something precious, frowned at the man and stood up at his approach, clearly finding his behavior somewhat reproachful. 

“Yes, Sir,” Hermione responded as sweetly as anything, but Harry knew his friend and he could tell she had her back up. 

The official turned to look Harry square in the eyes. Abruptly his demeanor shifted. “Mr. Potter, might I speak to you privately?” 

Harry blinked, surprised at the request. Almost against his will he shot a look to Hermione who tipped her head to the side - a shrug, if he was reading her body language correctly. His decision. He looked up at the Headmaster who twinkled down at him. 

“It is fairly standard procedure Harry,” Dumbledore told him. “The COA is a guardian to all Omegas; they only have your best interest at heart.” 

Harry nodded. “Alright.” 

Everyone except for the Ministry official stood up and shuffled out of the room. The man smiled at him, taking a seat where Mrs Weasley had sat. 

“My name is Vincent and although you cannot yet scent it, I am a Beta. I apologize for being so abrupt with your Alpha, but I find it better for Coven leaders to consider the COA as a less than friendly institution, the more they should fear breaking the law as it regards the abuse of Omegas.” 

Harry blinked at him slowly, not really sure what to say. Eventually he went with, “Um, Vincent…Sir, no one has really explained to me why everyone is so worried about Omegas being abused.” 

“I’m afraid that it is old tradition to have the Alpha of your Coven explain the state of the world to newly presented Omegas. It’s an important rite of passage for Alphas and Omegas alike, and I will not interfere with it. However, although I cannot proffer any specifics, I do want you to know that you have a voice. You have the right to have a say in any mating agreements, first of all…” 

“Mating!” Harry squeaked. “Mating?” 

“Yes,” Vincent confirmed solemnly. “Omegas enter formal mating arrangements instead of marriage like Betas and some Alphas choose to engage in.” 

“I better have a voice in that!” Harry replied, appalled. 

“You do,” Vincent confirmed again. “And you also have the right to call in the COA if you feel your Alpha has crossed any lines or that the Coven is an unsafe environment. We are your official advocates, and trust me, Harry, we will do right by you. I will leave you my work address and you may always reach me by owl post or, in dire scenarios, Floo.” 

“Thank you,” Harry said faintly, struck a little dumb by this barrage of information he didn’t fully understand. 

The man handed him the address and looked at the boy expectantly. “Best to memorize that now Mr Potter. Just in case you should misplace it.” 

“Erm, yes, ok,” Harry looked down and swiftly memorized the address. 

“Alright, well the only thing that’s left here is your registration!” The man sounded positively chipper now. He held out the portfolio which was now opened to a page showing a very official looking certificate which his name and designation. “This is a blood quill,” the man warned. “It’s used in official documents so there can be no forging of identity. You’ll feel a bit of a prick, but it won’t leave a mark.” 

“I’m familiar,” Harry noted dryly, before signing the sheet swiftly, tamping down on his wince and handing the quill back. 

Vincent stood abruptly. “Well that’s that then. Best of luck with your new Alpha, Mr Potter. Call if you need.” 

The man pulled open the door and hurried out. The rest of Harry’s contingent filtered back in. 

“Was everything okay, Harry,” Hermione asked briskly, eyeing him up and down as though Vincent might have touched him. It felt strangely possessive. 

“Fine, ‘Mione.” 

“Ok, well we’ve discussed it and you’re over the initial changes. You’ll start to pick up on everyone else’s designation in the next couple of days and most of the school has heard about your presentation, so you should expect to start seeing a lot of Coven behavior. It can be weird at first, but we’ll walk you through things. Everyone gives the newly presented a month or so to get used to the new way of the world, so you don’t have to worry about upsetting any other Coven’s accidentally for the time being. Ron is going to take you back to the Tower.” 

“Hermione,” Mrs Granger said gently. 

“I know, Mrs Weasley.” 

“Harry,” Hermione said, looking him straight in the eyes. “I have something that must be done. It cannot wait. Usually Alphas introduce their Omegas to their Covens right away and also explain a little more about what you can expect as a newly presented Omega, but I have no choice but to postpone that until I return from my task. Can you be patient with me?” 

“Of…of course, Hermione.” 

Hermione smiled slightly but she looked distracted. “Thanks, Harry. Go with Ron, now.” 

***

“Fred presented Alpha about a week before George presented Omega, so there was already a Weasley-sponsored Coven by the time that Hermione and I presented,” Ron told him as they made the walk from the Hospital Wing back to the Gryffindor Tower. “I presented Beta first and I figured if Hermione presented Beta too, it would be easy to mesh into Fred’s Coven. It’s not unusual for siblings to stay together in their Fledges, and Hermione gets along with them pretty well.” 

“Fledges?” Harry asked. 

“Yea, what we call wizard’s first Covens. Covens are such an important structure to how the Wizarding World works and the Stricture is so pervasive that it really doesn’t work to just stay in the Coven you’re ‘born’ to. By the time we present, we’ve been at school for years, made friends, and need to operate with these new dynamics right away. So new Alphas create ‘Fledgling’ Covens or ‘Fledges’ to kind of practice being Alphas, and new Betas and Omegas join the Coven of the Alpha they are closest with. Sometimes the Fledges become real, adult, lifetime Covens and sometimes they disperse and get brought into larger or different Covens after school.

“New Fledge Alphas almost always have an adult sponsor who helps guide them in leading a Coven. Hermione’s pretty rare, being a female Alpha and all, so it was a pretty perfect fit for mum to sponsor her…”

“Wait,” Harry interrupted, “That makes so much sense. Of course your mum is an Alpha.” 

“Yea, yea,” Ron said, waving if off. “After Hermione presented, we discussed whether or not she should try to come in as a Sub under Fred…” 

“A Sub?” 

“Yea, like an Alpha who reports into another Alpha. Some Covens, typically really large Covens with a lot of Betas and more than one Omega work better with more than one Alpha. But Alphas are territorial and they also like to be in charge. An Alpha Sub would need to get along really well with the Alpha Prime and the Alpha Prime would need to be laid back enough to spilt up some of the control of the Coven.” 

“Hermione wasn’t particularly laid back before she Presented,” Harry pointed out. 

“No kidding. That’s why we decided to make our own Coven. We didn’t know what you’d present as but as long as it wasn’t an Alpha, we figured we’d be in pretty good shape and even if you did, we figured you’d probably be able to make it work as a Sub, given how close we all have been and what we’ve been through together. We weren’t sure if we would have anyone else at first, but we weren't super upset at the idea of just the three of us.” 

“How large are Covens normally?” 

“It really depends. Some adult Covens can get up to 50 people, but they tend to have a lot of drama and conflict, with a lot of smaller circles operating within. Most adult Covens are around a dozen or so. Fledges tend to be smaller, just ‘cuz the pool of people is smaller. Most here are about 5 or 6 I guess. A few are smaller, a few larger. Pretty much everyone in our year and some of the year below us have already Presented, so you’re a super late bloomer. Ginny presented Beta and she’s in with Fred’s Coven for now; He’s got the largest in the school at 10 people. Fred doesn’t have any Subs though, so he’ll either need to integrate a younger one or the younger members of his Coven will have to find a new Coven after he graduates. Covens can’t really survive on a day-to-day without an active Alpha.” 

“Why not?” 

Ron shifted, a little bit uncomfortable. “It’s kind of hard to explain. I guess there are two things really — one is that inter-Coven relationships are led by Alphas and with the exception of emergencies, a Beta really can’t stand in an Alpha’s place when dealing with other Covens. There’s a lot of structure around that actually. The second is that if the Coven has any Omegas, they can’t take care of them without an Alpha. Omegas really rely on Alphas.” 

Harry opened his mouth eagerly but Ron rushed on, “And no, I think I’ll let OUR Alpha talk about that with you.” 

Harry pouted. “Fine, then can you at least tell me who’s what and what the main Covens are? I’ve never hated having such a late birthday as much as I do right now.” 

Ron grinned. “Yea - that’s easy. Fred’s got the biggest Coven in the school, as I said. It’s got a good reputation and an Omega, so it’s on pretty solid ground but Fred’s never been very competitive so it’s a pretty laid back Coven and doesn’t really throw its weight around. The rest of the 7th year Alphas have pretty small Covens. Hermione’s got a Coven of six now, including you. All Betas except for you and her - me, Luna, Dean, and Seamus. Malfoy has seven - Zabini is a Beta and his Second, Parkinson is a Beta, Crabbe and Goyle, both Betas. Padma presented Omega and joined Malofy’s Coven and Parvati presented Beta and joined to be with her sister. Ernie Macmillan has a Coven - his Second is Zacharias Smith, an Alpha Sub, and he’s got Hannah, Susan, Lavendar, and Justin as well. Hannah, Lavendar, and Justin are Betas, Susan is an Omega. Terry Boot is an Alpha, Anthony Goldstein is a Beta, his Second. It’s just the two of them right now, which is unusual. And Nott is an Alpha but hasn’t joined or started a Coven, which is making everyone very nervous. Bulstrode is a Beta but joined Flint’s Coven. Everyone is a little bit nervous that Malfoy will try to recruit either Terry or Nott as a Sub, which would give him a lot of power, but he doesn’t seem to have made any moves yet, and no one is sure how Zabini would take it. 

“Hermione’s the only female Alpha in the school right now and you and George are the only male Omegas. Those are rare presentations, mate. But there are about seven female omegas in total.” 

“What about Neville?” 

Ron looked uneasy. “He’s unpresented still, Harry. I know you guys were born on the same day, but honestly Harry, you were incredibly late to present. We were getting pretty nervous over the last few weeks. It’s…unlikely…that he will present at this point. It’s rare, but there are cases of permanent Neutrals.” 

Harry furrowed his brows. “I thought that all of the Wizarding World is based around Covens. If he’s unpresented, then the Stricture means we can’t even tell him anything about this…”

“It’s awful to be unpresented Harry. He’ll probably never understand why he feels so left out and why he can’t seem to get ahead in the world. Since everything is done via Covens, people will go out of their way to exclude him from parties, companies, anything where they would be prevented from interacting according to their true dynamics. He’d be living a lie and he’d never know it.” 

Harry didn’t know what to say. 

***

Hermione doesn’t come to see Harry that night, and it’s a weekend, so Harry lounges around the Tower, not really wanting to go out in the castle when he's so short on information. Ron seems to support this decision and aside from a quick trip to the kitchens to pick up some food, he’s stayed with Harry in the boy’s dorm. But now its almost dinner time, and Ron lets him know that he wants to take a quick trip the the library (the library, really Ron! Harry thinks, wondering how much under Hermione’s heel the Beta is). So Harry wanders down to the Common Room alone, bored of being in the boy’s dorm. 

“How are you getting along then, Harry?” 

George was in his usual spot in the Common Room when Harry approaches him, poring over a Charms textbook in an armchair near the fireplace. Harry would’ve previously thought him to be alone, but more attuned now to the hidden dynamics of his peers, he noted Angelina’s attentiveness from across the room. 

“I won’t lie and say I’m not a little confused,” Harry admitted, flopping into the chair opposite and moving a hand up to rub against his temple. He’s started to be able to pick up traces of people’s designation now, but the new information is making him a little dizzy. It’s almost like a smell, but not really. He could tell that Ron was a Beta earlier, just by being in the same room with him, it was intuitive, and now he can tell that George is an omega. It’s frankly weird. 

George chuckled. “Yea, mate, it’s like that for all of us for the first few weeks. Stricture is a real doozy, doesn’t let you prepare at all. Would be nice to have some warning, y’know? ‘Specially for people like us.” 

“Yea, about that George…” Harry started. “I was hoping you could help me out here a little, I hear male Omegas are somewhat rare.” 

“Can’t tell you too much without your Alpha’s permission mate,” George’s voice was light but he didn’t look Harry in the eyes, instead skimming the book in his hands. 

“That’s the first thing I don’t get!” Harry exploded. “Ron tells me everybody gets to choose which Coven they’re going to join, and sometimes it takes weeks for people to decide. But no one asked my opinion at all! What if I didn’t want to be in Hermione’s Coven?” 

“Doesn’t work like that for Omegas. If you had two already presented Alphas in different Covens that you were equally as close to, sure, maybe you get a choice; more likely they just fight it out and you end up with the winner. But it’s a matter of survival for us mate and no one in any Coven is going to believe you don’t belong to Hermione unless you publicly declare for another Alpha and Hermione backs your claim.” 

“Why is it a matter of survival, George?” 

“I can’t tell you about Coven dynamics without your Alpha’s permission Harry,” George continued, voice soft, eyes flashing when Harry was about to interject, “BUT, nothing is stopping you from keeping your eyes open; what with you being newly presented and all.” 

Abruptly, George stood up. “Let’s go for a walk,” he said, and started walking towards the portrait entrance. Angelina’s voice sounded from across the Common Room. “George, you’re under guidance not to leave the Common Room right now.” 

George turned, uncharacteristically flashing her a sneer. “You can tell my brother Harry and I are taking a quick kip out to the Quidditch pitch. It’s been a while since I’ve flown.” 

Angelina rolled her eyes; “Oh, I’ll tell your brother alright. Don’t move, Omega.” She turned quickly up the stairs to the boy’s dorms. 

George shifted from foot to foot for a second before nodding decisively. “Come on Potter,” he said, grabbing Harry’s arm and pulling him closer to the exit. The portrait had just opened up and Harry was just about to climb out when Fred’s voice sounded behind him, freezing him in his tracks. 

He had never quite heard the older Weasley sound this way before. “Kneel, Omega,” Fred said icily and Harry turned back around to see George smoothly sliding to his knees. He heard the portrait slam closed behind his turned back. 

“Alright, alright Alpha,” huffed George, from the ground. Harry stared at him in shock. Fred suddenly seemed to notice him. 

“Ah. Testing the waters, George?”

“Harry needs to know what’s what.” 

“At his Alpha’s own pace, brother. You know that.” Fred let a hand trail down to his brother’s head and ran it gently through his hair. “You’ve irritated Angelina. Apologize to her and return to your essay. We will discuss this further later, at the Coven meeting.” 

“Yes, Alpha,” George sighed, gathering himself back up. He shot a wink at Harry and shuffled over to where Angelina was glaring at him. Fred turned to Harry, “Please tell your Alpha that while we respect her pace, it does pose some…inconveniences.” 

“For me too!” Harry replied hotly, face flushed a hot red from the embarrassment. “What the bloody hell was that? Who asks their brother to kneel? And why did George just do it? Like it was nothing? Merlin, Fred.” 

“Careful,” Fred snapped and for some reason Harry felt himself shrink back, intimidated, eyes cast down. “Go find your Alpha, Omega.”


	2. Initiation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes - this is definitely an AU. Harry & co are in their 7th year, making them 17 and in this universe there is an 8th year that Fred & George are part of (I know they're 2 years ahead in the books, but in this case, they're only 1 year ahead). The reason for this is that Wizarding society feels that young wizards and witches need slightly longer in school to adjust to their new dynamics in a safe environment after they are released from Stricture. Since most present around 16, they get about 2 years in their fledges before they have to adjust to Coven structure in the real world. 
> 
> Voldemort is still alive and kicking in this AU and I've taken a number of liberties with canon events. Dumbledore is still alive - obviously, as he appeared in chapter 1 - and Draco didn't try to kill him. Sirius, however, is still dead. There's a lot of plot around this in the story, so more details will arise. But figured I should at least give you some context for what you're reading.

****

He knows it was just a suggestion, but Fred’s words seem to carry weight with Harry’s frazzled mind and he is wandering around the castle before he realizes that he’s actually looking for Hermione. Like an idiot. She told him she had an errand. 

Groaning he turns to head back to the Common Room. But Theodore Nott is standing directly in his path. 

They’ve never really interacted before. Sure, they have classes together, but the Houses don’t tend to mix much, especially Gryffindor and Slytherin. Notts always been a loner too, not ever really adhering to Malfoy’s primacy in the Slytherin hierarchy and thus not making too many Slytherin friends. Harry’s new, weird sense tells him that the other boy is an Alpha, and it’s a hot, intense sensation, one that perks his attention. He felt something similar standing in Fred’s presence earlier, and it’s distinctly different than the almost calming sensation that George gave off and the fairly uneventful ones he’s been getting from Ron and Angelina. 

“Er…Nott. Hi. Um, out for a stroll?” 

“Potter,” Nott said, eyes gazing intensely into Harry’s. 

The gaze is making him uncomfortable. Unconsciously he shifts his weight from foot to foot, eyes ripping away from Nott’s face to try and look beyond him. 

“Er, look mate, I’m a bit busy right now, yea? Be seeing you.” 

Harry moves to skirt around the Slytherin but he finds himself stopping cold at the low sound Nott emits in response to his movement. It’s a guttural sound and in spite of himself, Harry feels a shiver run down his back and he instinctively holds himself still, hoping not to set Nott off any further. The last thing he needs on top of everything else right now is to get into a scuffle with a Slytherin he’s never previously had a problem with. 

Nott’s … growl, for lack of a better word has cut off with Harry’s lack of movement and Harry’s new senses are picking up … contentedness? from the other wizard now. Thoroughly freaked out by all the new inputs, Harry keeps holding himself still even as Nott takes another step closer to him and he’s not exactly sure what would have happened next if there wasn’t the sound of a polite clearing of the throat suddenly reaching both of them from somewhere behind Nott. 

Abruptly, the contentedness exuding from Nott cuts off and turns sour as the Slytherin spins around to face the newcomer, and Harry is shocked to find himself humming low in his throat with a sound he doesn’t think he’s ever made before. The tense lines in Nott’s back smooth out slightly at the sound and Harry feels a sense of pleasure at having placated the Alpha, in spite of the discomfort he’s so far felt throughout their interaction. 

It’s Malfoy who has cleared his throat - of course it is - and the platinum haired wizard is leaned against the wall up ahead of them, arms crossed casually, but Harry spots the other Slytherin’s wand jutting out beyond his robe from where its clutched in his left hand. Malfoy hasn’t deigned to address either of them any further and hasn’t glanced at Harry once, but his eyes are fiercely meeting Nott’s and Harry can almost taste the bitterness of a potential challenge in the air. He fidgets uncomfortably and starts to skirt out from behind Nott - intent on getting away from the whole situation. But Nott has other ideas and, although he doesn’t tear his eyes away from Nott, he emits that low growling sound again and Harry can’t seem to stop himself from freezing yet again. 

“Nott,” Malfoy purrs, voice low and dangerous. “I think we should perhaps return this Omega to his Alpha, wouldn’t you agree?” 

“Potter’s fine where he is,” Nott responds gruffly. 

“Uh,” Harry coughs. “Actually, I really would like to track down Hermione, so if the two of you would just excuse me….” 

But he doesn’t move. These instincts are new, but strong, and he can tell challenging Nott by physically moving will not make this confrontation go his way. He glances at Malfoy imploringly, understanding that the Slytherin is somehow, shockingly on his side in this, and even though Malfoy doesn’t forfeit his eye contact with Nott, he can tell by the way the blonde’s lips twitch upwards in amusement that he caught the plea.

The three of them stand there for what feels like forever, tension racketing up until suddenly, Nott seems to break. He turns on his heel, and without a word, walks away. Harry turns his body a little to watch him walk away, feeling a larger sense of relief than he would have thought the situation really warranted. After Nott’s turned the corner, Harry turns to appraise Malfoy, raising an eyebrow in question. 

Malfoy drops his arms, pushing off from where he was leaning against the wall, and pockets his wand. He turns a casual smirk on Harry, raising an eyebrow in turn. “I see Granger hasn’t given you the lay of the land yet,” he remarks and Harry scowls. He can pick up that Alpha feeling from Malfoy too, but he doesn’t feel that same sense of danger he was getting off Nott, so he relaxes. 

“Not exactly sure what that all was about,” he admits. “Thanks, I guess. But how do you know I haven’t spoken to Hermione.” 

“You’re missing something,” Malfoy responds and merely shrugs when Harry makes a confused face. 

“Far be it for me to order the Golden Boy about…” Malfoy starts and Harry rolls his eyes at the other boy’s droll tone. “But maybe you shouldn’t be wandering about the castle when you’re so woefully ignorant?”

Harry bristles. “I was looking for Hermione.” 

“Ah yes, I saw your Alpha conferring with her Second not long ago outside the library. A favorite haunt of hers, no? Perhaps you should go there. Directly.” 

It’s phrased as a suggestion, but there’s an edge to Malfoy’s voice so Harry nods. “Yea, I think I will. See you.” 

Harry’s feet finally start to move again and he’s already started to mull over the whole interaction when Malfoy’s voice sounds from behind him. 

“We’ll speak again soon. Harry.” 

Harry’s mouth drops in surprise and he turns to look at Malfoy but the other boy has already started to walk away. 

**** 

Hermione and Ron are, thankfully, outside the library, engaged in a quiet but clearly heated discussion when Harry approaches. Hermione glances up with blazing eyes before she takes in that it’s Harry standing in front of them.

Harry hasn’t spent the last 3 years becoming intimately familiar with his friends’ quirks for nothing. It’s reciprocal. He can see the recognition of his rage in Hermione’s expression immediately. What he doesn’t see is any contrition, and that just spikes his ire further. 

“Harry,” she starts.

“Where. Have. You. Been.” He seethes, interrupting her before she can try to placate him. True to form, Hermione’s eyes harden at his tone, a mulish expression crossing her face. 

“Look, Harry, I know I owe you an explanation but what I had to do couldn’t wait, okay?” 

“People have gone crazy in this place,” Harry responds. “Fred ordered George to kneel, for Merlin’s sake. Then Nott and Malfoy act all weird…” 

“What do you mean,” Hermione breaks in quickly, ignoring Harry’s irritation at being interrupted. “About Nott and Malfoy? What did they say? Did they touch you?” 

“What? No. Nott approached me in the corridor, it was bloody strange, he barely said anything but he, I dunno, growled at me when I tried to walk away. Malfoy calmed him down, I guess.” 

Hermione half turned to look at Ron. “Ron, go gather the Coven. It’s time. Meet Harry and me in the Room of Requirement in about an hour. Have Dean run to the Owlery first and send Malfoy some of the chocolate stock and a note of thanks from me.”

“Got it,” he responds, shooting Harry a quick smile before turning on his heel to follow Hermione’s direction. Harry stares at his back, completely lost as to when Ron just started following Hermione’s orders without an ounce of protest. Shrugging internally he turns back to Hermione, narrowing his eyes in continued anger. 

“Oh don’t look at me like that. I know you’re mad. Come on, let’s have a talk before we have to meet the rest of them.” 

She leads him out of the castle and down to the lake, where they sit staring at the water for a moment before Hermione finally seems to gather her resolve. 

“Dumbledore and I have been meeting for the last few months to discuss what would happen when you presented,” she said, gazing calmly over the lake, not turning her head to look at Harry. “I know that probably is not something you wanted to hear, but Stricture wouldn’t have let us talk about this with you and its something that needed to be discussed. The laws in the Wizarding World can be … archaic. If you had presented an Alpha, there wouldn’t have been much of an issue.” She pauses and this time does turn her head to smile at him. 

“We’ve been friends a long time. I may be strong-willed and obviously so are you, but we’ve been able to navigate each other’s strong wills for years. I think we could have found a balance that worked for us both being Alphas in the same pack. If you had presented Beta, there also wouldn’t have been any issues but neither Dumbledore or I thought that likely.” 

“Why not?” 

“Wizarding Dynamics are not….necessarily predictable but there are certain patterns. If a Wizard has abnormally strong magic, they tend to fall into either an Alpha or Omega presentation. There’s a genetic component involved too, I suppose. But muggle borns with strong magic seem just as likely as purebloods with strong magic to present Alpha or Omega, so its not foolproof. You’ve always been strong willed, extraordinarily lucky, and your magical abilities are far beyond the average wizard. Some of that is your connection to Voldemort, I guess, but by all accounts your mother and father were extremely talented Wizards and you have a lot of inborn strength.

“So we figured there was a not insignificant chance you’d present Omega. Which brought up a few concerns. The first was your inheritance…” 

“My inheritance?” Harry wrinkled his nose, confused. This was honestly the last subject he had expected to be addressing with his friend today. 

“Yea,” Hermione sighed. “I told you some of the Wizarding World’s laws are archaic. Omegas….cannot directly inherit.” 

“What?!” 

Hermione rushed on. “It’s okay Harry, really. Omega’s aren’t allowed to directly inherit, instead everything goes into a trust. Whoever the Omega pledges to as Alpha has access to the inheritance, but the intention is that it be held as a dowry for whoever you eventually decide to bond with.” 

“How is that okay?” Harry snapped, completely appalled. 

Hermione shrugged, looking sad. “I agree its awful Harry. In the views of the lawmakers, these restrictions are actually in place to protect Omegas.” 

“Protect us how?” Harry said warily, pressing a hand to the side of his head which had started to thrum painfully. 

“The idea is that a trusted Alpha can stand in between the Omega’s inheritance and any Alpha that might seek to take advantage.” 

“I’m not some damsel in distress, Hermione. In case you’ve forgotten I’ve taken care of myself my whole life and saved you and Ron more than once at that.” 

“I know that Harry. You know I hate this too.” 

Harry glanced at her and some of his anger cooled in the face of her obvious tiredness and smothered distress. “So that’s where you were last night?” 

Hermione nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Weasley took me to the Ministry to register me as your Alpha and then to Gringotts right away. I would have brought you if I could have, Harry, but they won’t allow Omegas to be included in any of the proceedings. We couldn’t afford to wait, not even a day. You presented fairly publicly and word had already gotten around the castle that you had presented Omega. I’m sure some of the Slytherins already had owls headed to their parents to let them know of the news. We couldn’t risk any competing claims. Not for you.” 

“So you’re in control of everything my parents, everything Sirius left me?” Harry asked quietly. He had never been particularly attached to the gold in his vaults at Gringotts, but it had been a comfort to know that it was there. The fact that it could be stripped away from him just like that didn’t feel real. 

Hermione turned to him, holding his gaze and reaching out to hold his hand. “Technically, yes. But Harry, you have to know that I don’t want this, I will never use it for personal gain, and I will never restrict your access to anything that’s yours.” 

She let go of his hand and fished around in her robes before pulling out a small velvet pouch and handing it to him. 

“What’s this?” 

“This is linked directly to your trust. I have the ability to give you an allowance and each month that allowance will deposit directly into this pouch. I’ll never ask you what you do with that money. It’s yours, Harry. I promise. And if you need more, come to me. I am afraid I have to join you on any trips to the bank, but I won’t ever say no.” 

Harry sighed, “Fine.” He settled the pouch within his robes and then met Hermione’s eyes directly. 

“Tell me why everyone is so nervous about Omegas being taken advantage of ‘Mione. Please. I can’t stand being in the dark any longer.” 

“Have you noticed that Wizards don’t have that many children?” Hermione asked, leaning back on her elbows and gazing out over the lake. 

Harry felt a little wrong-footed at the non-sequitur but he took a second, gave it some thought. “I guess…I haven’t really thought about it, but yea, Wizards definitely have way less kids than Muggles. When we were younger, I kind of thought that there just a bunch of other schools where the rest of the magical kids were but….I guess the Triwizard Tournament kind of opened my eyes. There aren’t many more schools, are there?” 

“No,” Hermione shook her head. “There are others of course, two in America, two in China, one in Africa; a few more spread out across the world. But the Wizarding population has been in a slow decline a long time. Its part of why Voldemort has been able to arouse so much pureblood support. His followers aren’t just disgusted by muggles, they’re afraid of them. Muggle have 2, 3, more children whereas most pureblood families max out at 1 or 2.” 

“What does this have to do with Omegas?” 

“Betas can’t reliably reproduce magical offspring with each other.” 

“WHAT!?” 

Hermione nods, looking sad. “It’s true. It seems to be a side effect of magic. Betas alone aren’t strong enough to pass it down. Usually a Beta pair is completely infertile but, rarely, they produce Squibs. Only Alphas and Omegas, who are significantly stronger magically seem to be able to pass down the full magical gene expression. It seems like that’s why these dynamics popped up in the first place - evolutionary markers to identify who could successfully reproduce. 

“Betas can usually have magical children if they pair with an Alpha or Omega, but when Alphas and Omegas reproduce, they always have strong and healthy magical children. Betas who partner with Omegas are the second most successful pairing, but also the rarest. Alphas and Betas can be hit or miss.

“This is why Covens came about. Betas aid the Alpha and work in tandem to grow the Coven’s power and prosperity - hoping to attract other strong Omegas or Alphas. Its the only way they can have families. And over the course of generations, the Coven system has become particularly robust.” 

Hermione stops and lets him sit on that for a minute. Honestly, Harry’s mind is spinning. He mulls it all over, while Hermione picks absently at the grass. 

“I guess you better tell me the rest of it,” Harry finally says. 

“Did you notice anything strange when you were with Nott and Malfoy earlier?” 

“That whole interaction was bonkers, ‘Mione.” 

“Yea, I’m sure it was. But my question is more about you. Did you … feel … anything strange.” 

“I could tell they were both Alpha,” Harry says, picking over his words slowly. “It made me … nervous and excited at the same time? When Nott growled at me, it was like I couldn’t move…I didn’t want him to be angry. I wanted him to be calm. When Malfoy showed up, I could sense their reactions to each other, and…and I just let Malfoy take the lead.” 

He looks up at Hermione with wide eyes. “I didn’t think about it at the time, but that’s really not like me, is it? Merlin, Malfoy had his wand out, Nott was acting like a jerk, and I didn’t even reach for my own wand. What was I thinking?” 

“You’re Omega, Harry. You did the best thing you could in that situation, and you listened to your instincts.” 

“They have power over me, don’t they? Alphas?” Harry finally asked the question directly, acknowledging that he already kind of knew. 

“Yes.” 

“Show me.” 

Hermione’s hand stills from her plucking. Everything in the Alpha seems to go taut. “Harry,” she says, her voice a soft warning.

“Please, ‘Mione. I won’t get mad.” 

Hermione looks up at him, meets his eyes squarely. Then something shifts. The sense he has of her as an Alpha suddenly increases, and the feeling hits him hot and heavy. Her eyes, usually a pleasant hazel change colors dramatically, first listening to pink before darkening to a deep crimson hue. He stares at her in shock for a second before the weight of her stare feels like a physical pressure. He scrabbles backwards from her but her voice, deeper than usual, throaty, stops him in his tracks. “Stay Omega.” Harry freezes, panting slightly. He can’t meet her eyes anymore. 

Hermione leans towards him - he hadn’t managed to back up very far and for a second Harry is afraid, afraid in a way he never could have conceived of being afraid of Hermione. Then her hand comes up and passes his face to settle on the back of his neck. Harry’s mind goes blank. He can still take in his surroundings - he can see Hermione in front of him, feel her hand heavy on his neck, but he can barely move his limbs - it’s like moving through molasses and he doubts he could speak if he tried. He’s glad he’s already sitting, because he doubts his legs could hold him. 

Harry whines - the sound is involuntary and Hermione abruptly lets go, lurching away to sit several feet away from him. 

At the removal of her hand, Harry feels his mind start to clear, but his body is behind the curve. It’s several minutes before he feels normal again. He can’t bare to look at his friend. He’s surprised to find himself shaking. 

“Harry…” 

“Just give me a moment, Hermione.” 

She does. He breathes in and out, in and out, the way he used to when he was hiding in his cupboard as a kid, running away from Dudley or trying to comfort himself after another one of Aunt Petunia’s cutting remarks. The breathing helps and after a few moments he manages to look at the other Gryffindor again. 

“What was that?” 

“It’s called Alpha voice, Harry. Betas are susceptible to it too, but not the same way Omegas are. I’m sorry - I promise I won’t use it on you unless the need is dire. I don’t like having this ability. I don’t … I don’t want to be able to control another person like that. I’m really sorry, Harry.” 

The Alpha sounds distraught and it immediately tugs at Harry’s heart strings. 

“Hey, hey ‘Mione. It’s okay, yea? I asked you to, remember?” 

“You didn’t know what you were asking,” she’s teary eyed, but she restrains herself from breaking into full tears. Harry reaches out and holds her hand again, thinking they could both use the physical touch. 

“And the thing you did with my neck?” 

“Omega spot. It make Omegas submissive. It’s called gentling. It can … it can hurt you, Harry. It’s very dangerous.” 

“How do I fight this ‘Mione?” 

“From what I’ve heard, the Alphas that are closest to you will have more power over you. You’ll be more sensitive to my voice than you would to Nott’s or Malfoy’s, for example. But anyone who can get close enough to gentle you can control you. It’s horrible manners, of course, for a non-Coven Alpha to approach you in that way, but it doesn’t make the potential for it any less real.” 

“I can throw the Imperius Curse. Why should this be any different?” 

“Did it feel different?” 

“It…..yea. When I’m fighting the Imperius, I can hear these two battling voices - the one is the order, telling me what the caster wants me to do, but the other is my own. If I’m in the right state of mind, I can choose which to follow. This …. there weren’t any voices. I didn’t…I didn’t think about it, I just responded. When you told me to stay, my body just stopped….” 

“It’s an inborn instinct, Harry. Omegas are coveted in the Wizarding World. Because they can bare magical children, Covens lure them for bonding and sometimes surrogacy. But Omegas are also magically strong, at least as strong as Alphas. They have other gifts that they give Covens - many have unique Omegan gifts, such as prophecy or are irregularly attuned to the natural world. And they are fierce protectors - particularly of their offspring. No one is entirely sure why such a strong dynamic also grew to develop such weakness to Alphas, but here we are. Some suppose it was a biological response to force Omegas to stay within the Coven and adhere to the Alpha so they don’t tear families apart after birthing offspring. Others tell a story of an infertile but magically gifted Beta who was so jealous of Omegas that they cursed them to eternal obedience to the Coven. But no one really knows for sure and Stricture makes it even harder to research.”

“There’s … a lot more Harry, honestly. And I promise that I will do everything I can to get you up to speed and help you thrive. I promise. I’ve only been an Alpha for a little while myself, but every day I understand more and between you, me and Ron, we’ll make it out okay.” 

Harry manages a wavering smile at her. He nods. There’s a lot of things he’s not sure about right now, but one thing he is sure of is that he couldn’t have better friends. 

***  
When Harry and Hermione enter the Room of Requirement, its not laid out the way he would have expected. Well, to be honest, he isn’t sure what he expected, but this isn’t it. The room is lit in soft candlelight and there are comfortable chairs and sofas strewn about the room where Dean, Seamus, Luna, and Ron are lounging. Dean is laughing at something when they walk in and in spite of the heaviness of everything he and Hermione had just talked about, Harry feels himself start to relax. 

These are his friends - they’ve lived together for most of the year for years and they’ve gone beyond that. They’ve defended each other - from school bullies and mortal enemies alike. He trusts them and they’re the closest thing to family he’s had. Granted, he may not have always been as close to Dean and Seamus, but he’s always liked them and he’s comfortable around them in a way you have to be after sharing close quarters for so long. 

“I see you’ve all gotten comfortable,” Hermione comments from Harry’s side, but her voice is light and he can tell she’s feeling some of the same warmth he’s feeling at having their friends with them. 

“Hey there Alpha,” Dean says, smiling at her from across the room. “Sent over that chocolate and thank you note as requested. May need to refill our stocks at this rate.” 

“Thanks Dean. I’ll make a run next time I’m in Hogsmeade. Now, this is Harry’s first Coven meeting and he’ll be our first order of business.” 

“Oh goody,” Harry mutters wryly. 

“Don’t worry, mate,” Ron says, smiling up at him, “We were all ‘orders of business’ at once point or another.” 

Seamus and Dean snicker next to him and Luna just shoots him that indecipherable smile of hers. Harry shrugs and plops down on the sofa next to Luna. “So what do we do here, Alpha?” He can’t help but exaggerate the title just a little bit in teasing and Hermione’s lips twitch before she visibly attempts to recover some solemnity. 

“Look,” she says, pacing in front of the fireplace, “I’ve talked about this with Mrs. Weasley some. Every Coven has their own initiation for each of the ranks - whether we’re inviting in a Beta, an Alpha Sub, or an Omega. Everyone brings their individual strengths to the Coven and thus we grow stronger as a collective. When we brought in Luna - she was our last Beta to join, Harry - what we swore to each other was that as long as we’re a Coven, we treat each other as family. 

“You all know Harry. He’s been a part of our family for years, even if this is his initiation into the Coven as such. He’s led us, protected us, fought with us, and yea, sometimes annoyed the bloody hell out of us.” 

They all chuckled lightly, Harry smirked a little in response, rolling his eyes a little when he caught Ron’s gaze. 

“My point is, Harry’s our family, first. He’s also an Omega and yea, that means a lot of people are going to be paying a lot of attention to him …” 

“What else is new?” Ron muttered but subsided when Hermione fixed him with a hard stare. 

“So what I want us to pledge today is that Harry has our protection,” she pauses, reaching into her robes and fumbles about in there for a second before pulling out a thing silver pendant in the shape of what Harry recognizes as the Greek letter for ‘omega’. 

“This is an Omega pendant. They’re an old tradition - passed down from pureblood families for generations to the Omegas born to them. Harry,” she pauses, suddenly sounding a little nervous. “This was your mother’s. Apparently it was passed to her by your father’s mother when she decided to Bond with your father. It’s a part of your inheritance and I hope its okay that I brought it here with me today.” 

Harry’s eyes felt heavier suddenly and he just nodded, hoping the love in his eyes would be sufficient to comfort Hermione that it was more than okay. Hermione smiled and continued. 

“These pendants are more than just decoration - they’re deeply imbued with magic. Each pendant carries the Coven’s joined intent. In appreciation for the strength Harry brings to our Coven, and in gratitude to him for joining our family officially, I’d like to imbue this pendant with our protection. All each of you need to do is cast this spell and direct all of your focus into the drive to ‘protect’. If Harry is ever in need, this pendant may serve as a final line of defense. Do you all accept?” 

Ron, without a word, held out his hand for the pendant. Hermione handed it to him and he cast the spell with quiet efficiency, his gaze intent on the pendant cupped in his left hand even as his right hand moved his wand in a competent design. The pendant floated off his hand after a moment, glowing a light purple hue before dropping back into his palm. Ron, more solemn than Harry could frequently recall seeing him, looked up at him and met his gaze. “I’d do anything for you mate, anything. You were always my family, but welcome to the Coven.” 

“Thank you, mate.” 

Luna, without a word, plucked the pendant from the redhead’s hands and repeated Ron’s motions. She smiled after the pendant had fallen back into her palm and looked at Harry with searching eyes. “Welcome to the Coven, Harry.” 

Dean and Seamus followed suit before the pendant made it back around to Hermione. Looking somber she repeated the spell and then, filled with some impulse Harry didn’t fully understand, he moved to stand in front of her. Hermione held the pendant up to his robes and a second later it was affixing itself there magically, right on his left chest, above his heart. 

“Omega,” she said, “will you do us the honor of joining our Coven?” 

Harry swallowed, then nodded determinedly. “Yes, Alpha.” 

Ron approached and stood at Hermione’s right side. 

“Omegas care for and are cared for by the Coven. As our Alpha has promised, you have our protection. Omega, will you care for the Coven?” 

“Yes,” Harry said, instantly. 

“Will you protect the Coven in turn?” 

“I will.” 

“And will you obey the Alpha, the leader of our Coven.” 

Harry paused. It felt…wrong, suddenly. He shifted and then, before his conscious mind had really caught up, he found himself dropping gracefully to his knees. Neither Ron nor Hermione twitched but he heard some shifting behind him from the other three and an uncomfortable clearing of the throat behind him. Harry had never kneeled to anyone before, but in spite of the strangeness of the situation, it felt right to him and he couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed. 

Quietly he affirmed his Second’s last statement. “Yes, I will obey.” 

There was a ripple in the room - everyone felt it - the effects of old magic and then there was calm. Silence for a moment, then Hermione’s hand dropped to the top of Harry’s head, stroking his hair for a moment. He felt himself make a low sound - a noise of approval and theres was an answering rumble from the Alpha before him before Ron was reaching a hand down, Harry was using it to pull himself up and the Golden Trio were all staring at each other with varying degrees of red cheeks and grinning faces. 

“So….we’re a Coven, now,” Harry said. 

“We’re a family,” Hermione said firmly and Harry smiled and nodded, reaching out to clap a hand to Ron’s shoulder. 

“Yea, so we are.”


	3. Elucidation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! Thanks everyone for your response on this. Let's get into a little bit of world-building....
> 
> Please review! I appreciate them so much!

In spite of Hermione’s arguments to the contrary, Harry was not a complete idiot and did have a modicum of common sense. Harry wasn’t about to discard what happened in the hallway with Malfoy & Nott easily nor was he going to ignore the warnings Hermione had given him regarding the nature of the relationship between Alphas and Omegas. 

As he re-acquainted himself with the magical world in this new context, he played it smart. He didn’t go places alone. It wasn’t hard to avoid solitariness - there always seemed to be a member of the Coven nearby. Harry wasn’t sure if Hermione had ordered it or if they were just organically looking out for him, but either way he appreciated it. It meant he didn’t have to feel like a child asking for an escort every time he left the Common Room. 

What Hermione had promised when they had their talk by the lake - that there was a lot more to this whole Omega business - proved undeniably true over the next few days. First there was the horrendously embarrassing talk with George who, as the only other male omega around, had apparently drawn the short straw amongst the Omegas in the school and was forced to break the news to Harry that not only was he suddenly going to be the center of attention on the merits of his fertility, but soon his body would start actively enticing nearby Alphas with its scent as he went into what George politely phrased as his ‘season’. 

“Eh, we all have ‘em, Harry. Lasts a few days to a week. Starts pretty similar to what girls describe as PMS - get more irritable than usual, craving for sweets, body gets a little sore. Then, ehm, well, might as well just break it to you … you’re gonna get bloody horny mate.” 

Harry, who had been assiduously avoiding meeting George’s eyes during this conversation that had turned from friendly to unexpectedly completely awkward, couldn’t help but to let his startled gaze fly up at that. George scratched his head and looked off to the side. 

“Yea, it’s not real fun. Basically during your season your body is going to start signaling to all the unattached Alpha’s that you’re single and fertile. And because that’s not bad enough, your body is going to send you a reminder too - in the form of some very uncomfortable hard ons and an itch that feels impossible to scratch.”

“Um….ok?” Harry says, flummoxed. What exactly is he supposed to do with that? 

Another 15 seconds of silence passes. “How often exactly should I be expecting this nonsense?” 

“Everyone’s a little different. Padma only has 3 a year but I don’t envy her because they last almost 9 days. Mine comes about once every other month and I’m done in 3 days.”

“And what? You just go around business as normal?” 

George shifts uncomfortably. “Not exactly. Pre-season, sure. You have to fend off more advances, Coven has to be more on guard, but you can still live your life. In season? Nothing matters except mating.” 

“Mating?!” Harry did not shriek. He didn’t. 

“I mean thats the point obviously. Not a lot of omegas getting laid around here though, what with the over-protective professors and Covens. Mostly we’re just restricted to the Omega Quarters until the heat passes. Other Omegas can visit, but the quarters reject all other dynamics. I’ll show you later, they're nice. We all get our own room but there’s a common area as well. It’s not all bad Harry.” 

“You basically just told me I’m going to go into heat,” Harry says shortly, not in the mood to be entertained. 

George shrugs. “Now you know. One day you’ll be the one giving this talk on the other side. We look out for each other Harry. We have too. World’s a dangerous place for Omegas and our Covens try, but they don’t understand what we go through day to day. Come talk to the rest of us if you’re struggling. Dad reminded me the other day that generations of Wizards before us have gone through this same transition. Presenting doesn’t have to be the end of anything, its just a rite of passage into something new.” 

They were quiet for a minute. “I reckon that’s real wise of your dad, George.” 

“The man has survived 25 years married to my mum, he knows a thing or two about survival.” 

Harry laughs and the tension dissipates.  
George does show him the ‘Omega Quarters’ (same floor as the kitchens, behind a moving bookshelf that only moved when you pulled out both ‘History of Magical Law Enforcement Volume II’ and ‘In the Days of the Last Unicorn King’ simultaneously, and then spoke the password, ’Borrowed Socks’ - such a random phrase must be effective - to the solemn visage of Arthur Pendragon in the portrait stationed there). Dean accompanies the two to the bookshelf then purposely gets “distracted” by a painting on the other side of the room while George shows him how to access the hidden hallways. Inside the Quarters, the common area is awash with soft pastel colors, a myriad of blankets, cozy chairs, and couches strewn across the room. There are six or seven rooms off the common room for personal use and a bathroom with a large sauna and heated pool. 

When they enter the Quarters, Susan Bones is cuddled under a large furry blanket looking less that tip-top. Harry frowns when he sees her but she sends him a shaky smile and struggles a hand out from where its buried beneath the heavy blanket to waggle her fingers at him tiredly. “Hiya, Harry. Welcome to the club. Most exclusive in the school.” 

Harry chuckles. He’s always had a polite relationship with Susan but never much more. It occurs to him suddenly that he has something in common with only a very few other people and that its bonding in a way he hasn’t really felt before. He sends her a concerned look. “You feeling okay there Bones?” 

“I’m almost in full season,” she sighs in an aggravated tone. “Shouldn’t be more than a few hours now.” 

“Sorry, love,” George responds, patting her foot softly from where its lain under the blanket. “At least it won’t last too long.” 

“I’d rather it last for days if only it would come less!” Susan exclaims. 

“Grass is always greener,” George says. “On the last day of mine, I’d do anything to have it come once a month if only it wouldn’t go on so long.” 

“Er…how often does it come Susan? I mean if it’s not rude to ask that,” Harry stammers, oddly fascinated. Susan shrugs. 

“I don’t mind, it’s better you know anyway since we all keep track of each other. My cycle is extremely fast. I enter season for approximately 12 hours every 10 days. Pre-season symptoms typically last about 24 hours.” 

“Merlin,” Harry breathes, appalled. “That sounds almost debilitating.” 

“It’s hard but I guess there’s nothing to be done. Ernie even paid for a specialist to come to Hogwarts to advise. The Healer said that my short cycle is just a natural result of my high fertility and he should be grateful at having acquired such an Omega for his Coven. Ernie fired the asshole, of course, but Madam Pomfrey had already told me something similar - in much more polite terms - so unfortunately it seems like this is just something I’ll have to learn to live with until I’ve Bonded and my season levels out.” 

“Omega’s seasons are different before and after they permanently bond to an Alpha,” George explained at Harry’s confused expression. “The introduction of the bonding hormones to an Omega’s body alters our cycles. No one really knows why. Unfortunately, also no patterns to how it will affect any one Omega.”

Susan groans, shifting in discomfort on the couch, “Can’t get any worse for me.” 

Was there any good news about Presenting Omega? Merlin. Harry internally rolled his eyes before casting around for something else to talk about to get them off this dreary topic when Susan was already clearly suffering. 

“How’s Zachy-bear?” George asked, and Harry raised his eyebrows in question. Distraction accomplished as Susan blushed at the question. 

“Zacharias Smith,” she said in an aside to Harry before addressing George primly. “He’s quite well. Thank you very much.” 

George snickered. “Zachy-bear and Susan here have been courting for the last 6 months, since about 5 months after Susan presented. We’re all expecting the news of their impending nuptials any day now.”  
“Getting married? Really?” Harry’s aghast. “But we’re still so young.” 

“He really prefers Zacharias, George,” Susan said, ignoring Harry momentarily. “As you well know. And you’re still getting used to things Potter, so I don’t expect you to know, but most Omegas do get married pretty quickly after 8th year. The school doesn’t permit bonding before graduation, but for me bonding offers a potential solution to a pretty massive problem in my life, so yea, I’m pretty eager to do it as soon as I can. Besides, what am I going to do as a single Omega in the workforce? Nobody will hire me, especially unbonded, and I’ll just be leaching off of my Coven’s resources until they can match me.” 

Harry stares. “There’s so much that scares me about what you just said, I don’t even know where to start,” he tells her earnestly. He can see that she’s offended, but honestly, what is he supposed to do with that? 

“Alrriiiight, that’s enough bonding for us Omegas today. Harry, let’s get you back to Dean. I’m sure he’s bored of out his damn skull.” 

***  
The school has been transitioning young Wizards into this strange new dynamic for years and for the most part, they have it down pat. There’s a basic education class that Harry, like all of the newly Presented, will have to attend for the first 6 months of presentation. Apparently they start the class anew for a fresh cadre of students every 6 weeks for anyone who presented in the prior cycle. Harry is fortunate enough to have presented right at the tail end of the cycle, so there’s a new class starting about a week after he Presents. 

The class takes place in a room Harry hasn’t been in before. Instead of desks, were are armchairs arranged in a circle. The walls of the room are filled with Wizarding art - modern looking with dark lines but furious pastel swirls, clearly by the same artist. When you would look away and then return your gaze you could see that the swirls had morphed, changed color and depth in your absence. The room was warm with gentle lighting and a rug covering the floor. The overall effect was that the room was alluring and rather soothing, Harry thought, as he sunk into one of the armchairs.

He’s not alone in the class - but he is the oldest. The other three students are all 6th years - two Hufflepuff Betas, a Slytherin Beta, and a Hufflepuff Alpha that Harry instantly takes a disliking to. The Alphas name is Joel Stebbins and he leers at Harry like the cat who found the cream when they both sit down in the classroom where they were asked to gather for their first lesson. 

“Looking good, Potter,” he comments inanely from the armchair to Harry’s left. Harry shoots him an unimpressed glance. 

“Stebbins, right?” 

Thankfully Harry is saved from any need to further interact by the appearance of the rather young Ministry official who leads the introductory class. The woman has a genial demeanor and a fairly bubbly personality, and reminds Harry somewhat of Tonks, albeit without the Metamorphmagus’ inherent clumsiness. She introduces herself as Alice Burbage and Harry wonders vaguely if she’s related to the Muggle Studies professor before she affirms it herself, claiming the professor as her (“Much older!”) sister. Harry’s newfound senses tell him that Miss Burbage is a Beta. 

“I’m sure it must be confusing for all of you,” she tells them leaning forward eagerly in her armchair, palms flush against her thighs. In spite of her welcoming and kind aura, there’s something about her that Harry instinctively dis-likes. So far this feeling isn’t justified though, so when she glances at him he sends her a wavering half-smile; she smiles warmly back and continues her opening address. “You suddenly have all these new instincts and you’re expected to just fall into this Wizarding culture that you had absolutely no way knew existed. Stricture is really cruel in that way. That’s one of the things that we’ll talk more about in this class - the history of Stricture. In subsequent lessons we’ll talk in depth about all these new instincts you have, the culture you’ve suddenly entered, and how some of you may have futures that are a bit different than how you originally imagined them.”

She paused and smiled at them again for a second. “The thing you have to remember is that we all go through this. No Wizard is immune to Stricture so we’ve all been where you’re sitting now, be it a few months or a few years after Presentation. The good news I have for you is that this is a gift. Your presentations, our culture, it’s a gift from Magic itself that allows us to continue Wizard kind. It might be scary but this battle to understand this new part of yourselves is a fight you’re going to win. Your instincts are powerful things and the Coven system grew out of this instinctual framework. It won’t be a long time before this seems completely natural to you.” 

Unease twists in Harry’s belly even though he can see the rest of his classmates leaning in the longer Miss Burbage speaks. It was hard to conceive of this sudden vulnerability he had to a fairly large percentage of the Wizarding population as anything resembling a ‘gift’. He can’t help but wonder if this would be the same speech if it were given by an Omega. Something tells him the answer is a rather resounding ‘no’. 

“Let’s use our first time together to talk about your biggest concern as it relates to your new Presentations. I assure you, this is a safe space to ask even something you might think is embarrassing. There are some things you may need to know, and I cannot have any of you afraid to ask those questions. If you do not respect each others’ privacy,” she paused, looking Stebbins right in his eyes, “I assure you that you will not like the consequences. Do you all understand? Speak aloud, I must hear your word.” 

“Yes,” Harry nodded, looking her in the eye. He wonders if he’s misjudged her, he can tell she means every word of that. The others all nod at her and gave quiet affirmations, even Stebbins though his expression had turned a little sour. 

There’s quiet for a moment before the strawberry blonde Hufflepuff Beta to Harry’s left leans forward to speak in a rush, “My mother just told me she didn’t give birth to me and instead my Aunt Nadia, who is the Coven’s omega, did! How could they keep that kind of secret from me?” 

Burbage hummed low at the outburst, frowning slightly as she thought. “Your mother’s a Beta?” she asked the Hufflepuff, who nodded tensely. “And so is your father?” Another nod. She sighed. 

“Some of you may have already had some conversations about why we have these designations to begin with,” she paused but no one shifted one way or another. Her gaze rested on Harry a second longer than the others but then moved on. “Unfortunately those of you who have Presented Beta face much larger obstacles to produce healthy magical children than will your Alpha and especially your Omega peers.” 

A soft gasp from the questioning Hufflepuff girl whose hand stutters to her mouth. Harry feels a wave of sympathy wash over him in response. She clearly hadn’t heard anything about this. He’s grateful again for Hermione, for that academic brain and the way she had detailed out the most important facts that he needed to know so that he didn’t have to find out that kind of secret so unexpectedly. 

Burbage carries on, her voice gentle. “Your Aunt Nadia gave your mother a gift. She was your mother’s surrogate, carrying you, mixing her magic with your Beta parents’ seed. Your mother is still your mother, you carry most of her and your father’s genetic material, perhaps with some small trait of your carrier, but your Aunt Nadia is your Oma and now that you are beyond Stricture you should call her such in respect.” 

“My parents are still my parents?” the Hufflepuff asked, lowering her hand slightly from her mouth and looking at Burbage so pleadingly it almost broke Harry’s heart. “I…I kind of stopped reading the letter after they told me about Aunt Nadia…I was just so upset.” 

“Yes, my dear,” Burbage responded softly, smiling gently. 

The girl leaned back, looking pensive but unspeakably relieved. 

Harry was focused on something else at this point though. “Is that common?” he asked, and spared a moment to think he probably could have asked that a little less gruffly in the wake of such a revelation. Burbage turned her attention to him without looking too ruffled by his tone though and shrugged in response. 

“It is the purview of each Coven to decide. Some Covens have strict pair bonding arrangements even for the purpose of reproduction, even if there are better alternatives. But many Covens have agreements between members that allow for such surrogacy or even multiple Bondings, though such an act does tend to mitigate each Alpha’s hold on the Omega.” 

“Their hold?” Harry asks, barely sure where to start unpacking everything she had just said. 

Burble nods. “Alpha’s have the ability to hold the attention of Omegas - I’m not sure you would have yet experienced it? It’s called Alpha voice.” 

Harry keeps his face blank, although this time it is a challenge. He’s found, especially with Wizard-kind, its better to get information if you don’t quite let on how you’re feeling about what you’re being told. 

“I’ll leave that for another time, but its one of the many advantages Bonding provides an Alpha and Omega pair to better allow Alphas to protect Omegas.” 

Aghast, Harry is leaning forward to question that assertion further, but Burbage is clapping her hands and leaning back. “I think we have time for one more question today. Who’s up?” 

Feeling sullen, Harry leans back himself, crossing his arms and fighting to keep his face expressionless while Stebbins natters something he doesn’t pay attention to, lost in thought as to what she had just told him. Whatever the Alpha asked, the answer was brief because it wasn’t much longer before Burbage was standing up and ushering them out of the room. 

A little shell-shocked, Harry glanced around at the rest of the awkwardly standing group before turning abruptly on his heel and walking briskly to meet Ron who was loitering at the corner of the hall, waiting to escort him to dinner. 

The redhead opened his mouth clearly curious as to why his normally calm friend looked so fiercely irate, but wisely held his tongue when Harry shook his head and charged down the hall ahead of him, leading the way to the Great Hall. 

A gift. 

What bullshit. 

***  
When Harry receives a letter would with a bright red bow over Breakfast, he is initially just perplexed. When Ron nearly chokes on his potatoes next to him after catching sight of the letter though, he quickly becomes mortified after the redhead recovers and explains that Harry has just received a courting proposal. 

They’re sitting far enough down the table from the younger Gryffindors this morning, so Harry doesn’t experience the nauseating rush he would if he had tested the boundaries of Stricture in the presence of the un-Presented when he somewhat resignedly flips out. Ron looks somewhat sympathetic but he mostly just looks curious so after a moment of embarrassed grumbling he concedes to his friend’s expectant look and unties the letter. 

It’s from Terry Boot of all people, a Ravenclaw Harry hasn’t given more than a thought to aside from the time the boy had accidentally dropped frogs legs into a potion and sprayed himself and three other Ravenclaws in collateral damage from a mutated shrinking potion that kept their torsos undersized compared to the proportions of their limbs for days before Madame Pomfrey found a permanent solution after consultation with some Healers from St Mungos. Snape had been so furious he had docked Ravenclaw 100 points for the error. 

From what Harry had picked up from general acquaintance with the kid, he was a little …. off-step with people. He came across a little over-eager socially. It made people nervous. And he wasn’t exactly Harry’s type. He paused. Did he have a type? Besides an ill-conceived attraction to Cho back in fourth year, he hadn’t really given a lot of thought as to who he was into. 

He turns his attention to the ‘proposal’. It’s formally worded, and requests that Harry ask his Alpha to give her permission for Boot to approach Harry with the intent of courting him. Harry snorts incredulously as he gets to the brief request after flipping it over multiple times to see if there was any more context as to why a guy he’d never had much of a connection with was suddenly expecting Harry to fall all over himself to date him. But there was nothing. Ron makes grabby hands at the letter and Harry thrusts it at him, turning his attention back to his plate and shoveling down his breakfast irately. 

Ron whistles low, “Damn mate, that’s bloody awkward isn’t it?” 

“You think?” Harry snaps, ripping the letter back and shoving it deep into the bowels of his robes, praying he won’t have to think of it ever again. It’s not to be though, as Ron is both persistent and a wanker. 

“Oh but whatever will you say?” Ron croons in a sing-song voice, ignoring Harry’s withering glare. “What will you say if Hermione denies you this incredible opportunity?” 

“Merlin Ron, does he actually think I would do something so inane?” 

Ron sobers slightly, looking around skittishly for a second before concluding on one else had overheard them. 

“I agree with you about Boot, mate, but technically this IS actually how its done. If Alphas want to court you they have to request your permission, get your Alpha’s permission, then prove themselves as worthy to both the Coven and to you. It’s a fairly formal process.” 

“This whole damn system is archaic, mate,” Harry responded tersely, pushing away from the table, appetite suddenly gone. Ron rushes to meet him on the other side to continue their conversation as Harry storms out into the hall to head towards their morning Transfiguration class. 

“I don’t disagree with you, Harry,” Ron said somberly. “It must be bloody frustrating to have to deal with all this nonsense. I’m sorry.” 

“Yea,” Harry mumbled, Ron’s conciliatory tone taking some of the wind out of his feathers. “Yea. Thanks, mate.” 

Harry slows his pace and the two walk in easy familiarity up to the Tower where their class takes place. They’re early, beating even Hermione (who, as an early riser, had usually eaten breakfast and done an hour of studying in the library prior to her friends even waking up), but much to Harry’s chagrin, Boot is shuffling his feet awkwardly in the hallway leading up to the stairs up to the Tower, clearly waiting for Harry. 

Harry groans low when he catches sight of him. He hears a suspicious sound to his side and turns to glare at his friend who is very clearly fighting back his chuckle. “You have all the luck, mate,” the redhead says under his breath. 

“Kiss my ass, Weasley,” Harry replies tersely. Ron lets out a noise and Harry shoots him a suspicious look but at this point Ron’s got his expression schooled and has fixed Boot with his signature friendly but not exactly impressed face. 

“Wasn’t aware you were joining us in Transfiguration, Terry,” Ron says, easy as anything and Harry lets some of his irritation with his friend subside. Boot looks confused for a second before he clearly remembers his mission. 

“Right, right. Yea, no I wanted to get a word in with Potter,” he responds, eyes catching Harry’s gaze and holding it intently. “If that’s quite alright with you, Weasley?” 

“Pretty sure that’s up to Harry,” Ron says, raising a brow at Harry in question. 

Harry steps closer to Terry and then guides the three of them away from the entrance to the Tower, to a place not quite so obvious to anyone walking by. 

“I got your em…proposal,” Harry said. “To be honest, Boot, I didn’t really think you were interested in me like that, or y’know, at all really?” 

“Well, er, yea,” Terry responds, scratching his head, “but things are different now, aren’t they?” 

“What? How?” 

“Omega,” Terry said sticking his pointed finger in Harry’s face like he's an idiot then turning it back on himself with a plaintive, “Alpha.” 

A palpable silences between the three comes after that with Harry unable to prevent himself from shooting Ron an incredulous look. 

“I thought you and Hannah kind of had like…a thing,” Ron said after a moment. “Can’t imagine she’s going to be very happy with you suddenly all interested in Harry like this?” 

“Well Hannah’s a Beta isn’t she,” Boot says back. 

“So what you’re telling me is that I’m your second choice,” Harry cuts in, raising his brows high as he waits for Boot’s stumbling reply. 

“I mean..that is…no?” 

“Yea, that doesn’t sound very sure. I don’t know Boot, what can I say, I’m a romantic. I appreciate your interest, but I think I’ll wait for a courting proposal from someone who is actually invested in me as a person instead of just my gender.” 

“What will Granger have to say about that decision?” the Ravenclaw replies, because he clearly has a chronic foot-in-mouth problem. 

“I dare you to ask her,” Harry responds, edge in his tone. “I think we’re done here. Ron?” 

The redhead looked like he was about to break into laughter again but he bravely held them back and nodded at his friend. They turned back to the entrance to the Tower and headed up to class, a befuddled and embarrassed Ravenclaw left in their wake.


	4. Revelation

Regardless of the many insane revelations he’d been forced to encounter in the last few weeks, accidentally running into Ron and Hermione snogging in the hallway was still one of the most shocking. Sure he had known that they were feeling out a different kind of relationship, but he hadn’t known they’d progressed to physical intimacy and it was bloody awkward to see it in person. In their defense, they were both incredibly embarrassed about the whole thing and had been rather apologetic, at least at first. 

Hermione seemed to lose that patience at what was perhaps Harry’s fourth overly-dramatic shudder. “Alright Potter. What are you, a first year? Ron and I are dating. We kissed. Get over it.” 

Harry firmly clasped his hands over his ears and stuck his tongue out at her, crossing his eyes. Caught off guard she laughed, Ron sniggered, and the tension was broken. 

Harry smiled at them. “I’m happy for you, really. Just do me a favor and keep your PDA to a minimum, yeah?”   
Ron frowned, “PDA?” 

“It’s a muggle term,” Hermione informed him. “Public display of affection. And we’ll do our best, Harry.” 

“That’s all I ask.” 

“What about you then, Harry? Got anyone in your sights?” It was a Saturday and they all had free time until the evening when Ron and Harry had Quidditch practice, so the trio had wandered down to hang out by the lake after running into each other in the hallway. 

Harry shrugged uncomfortable. Truth be told, he didn’t really, and he was starting to worry there might be something wrong with him. He’d had his crushes in his younger years, but he'd grown out of them for the most part, and currently no one was really triggering his interest. 

Hermione seemed to note his discomfort. “Don’t worry, Harry. I’ve read that it’s fairly standard for Omegas to not have a lot of romantic interest until they go through their first season.” 

“Oh yea,” Harry muttered, leaning back and picking at the grass under his fingers with barely suppressed bitterness. “Another thing I’m looking so very forward to.” 

Hermione frowned. “I don’t like how worried you are about that,” she said. “I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better.” 

Harry shrugged. “Seems like I just have to wait it out. I’ve been talking to the other Omegas and they all told me they had their first cycles within six weeks of presenting. Of course, we’ll have to wait for the second season to figure out what my cycle is. Really hoping I don’t have to experience what Susan goes through.” 

Ron’s looking a little embarrassed at the topic, but he gives his friend a half smile. “Well whatever it ends up being, you know me and ‘Mione are here for you.” 

Harry nods but responds, “As much as I appreciate that, I have a feeling the last thing I’m going to want during season is you anywhere near me.” 

“Oi!” 

“No offense, mate,” Harry assures him. “But George tells me the best thing for me will be to stay around Omegas as much as possible until it passes.” 

“There are other things we can do,” Hermione says calmly. “There are things that help with the pre-season symptoms. Sugary foods, heating pads, some potions. I’ve asked Snape for some time in the lab to brew some of those and he agreed with only a minimal amount of belligerence.” 

“I really appreciate that, Mione,” Harry says, startled at her thoughtfulness. 

“It’s my duty as your Alpha, Harry. We’ll do everything we can to make you comfortable. I promise.” 

“Speaking of which,” Ron interjected. “We let the word spread a bit about your refusal of Boot’s proposal, Harry. I think you’ll get a break until after your first heat, at least.” 

“Thank Merlin,” Harry groaned. “That was the most awkward conversation of my life.” 

“He really should have known better than to approach you like that. And to be so rude about it," Hermione frowned. “Hopefully your future suitors will be more thoughtful with their proposals.” 

“Must I have future suitors?” Harry asked, sighing. 

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” Hermione promised fiercely. “But you might find that your tune changes a bit after Heat. Omega instincts are apparently very powerful things. I know from the Alpha side that my own can be fairly difficult to resist at times.” 

“I do not envy you two,” Ron said. 

“Yea, you’re pretty lucky,” Hermione agreed, smiling at him. 

“Except for the whole infertility thing,” Harry said without thinking before wincing at his thoughtlessness. “Ugh, I’m sorry Ron. Maybe Boot’s foot-in-mouth disease is contagious.” 

Ron shrugged, looking uncomfortable but not angry. “It’s fine. I’m getting used to it. Mum and dad talked to me and Ginny about it too. After all, they had 7 magical children which is pretty much unheard of for an Alpha and Beta pair. Mum told me her family, the Prewetts have always been blessed with better fertility, even among their Betas. Most of Mum’s family was killed in the last Wizarding War, but her parents were a Beta and Omega pair and had five children. So as long as Ginny and I end up pairing with an Alpha or Omega, we have better than average chances of being able to have our own kids. It’s not guaranteed of course, but it’s nice to know.” 

“I sure am sorry about your mum’s family, Ron.” Harry said, gazing at his friend kindly. 

“Thanks, Harry. She doesn’t talk about them a lot, but I know they meant a lot to her. I think its why she’s a little er…obsessive about her children.” 

They’re quiet for a few minutes before Ron speaks again. “Mum’s worried about George.”

“What? Why?” Harry asked, scrunching his eyes in concern. 

“The Prewett’s fertility is well-known. George is the only Omega alive from our line. He’s a bit of a commodity. Mum told me she was always worried she’d have an Omega child, that we’d have to be vigilant to keep George safe his whole life. She said she was thankful when the rest of her children presented as Betas and especially thankful when Bill and Fred presented Alpha. I think it’s why Fred worked to make his Coven so large so fast, and why he’s so strict with George.” 

“Yea, I thought that whole scene in the Common Room was particularly weird. What does George think about all this?”   
Ron shrugged. “You’d have to ask him, but I think he thinks Mum and Fred are being overly protective. His whole life changed after Presenting. He feels stifled by all the restrictions and I think he misses the relationship he and Fred used to have. Their bond is…just really different now. Add to that that Fred refuses to hear courting proposals for George until after graduation….well the two of them have been bickering pretty much non-stop.” 

“Does George even want to court?” 

Ron drops down to his elbows on the grass and looks up at the sky. “I don’t know. But I think he wants the option.” 

“Hm.” 

“Harry,” Hermione says softly. “You should know that Mrs. Weasley had a similar conversation with me about you.” 

“Me? Why?” 

“You know why, Harry. You’re the most famous wizard of our age. Added to that, your father was a powerful pure-blooded Alpha and your mother was a new-blood Omega who successfully produced a strong magical child and would undoubtedly have produced more if not for her untimely death….” 

“Don’t sell yourself short, mate,” Ron added in quietly. “You’re a very powerful Wizard. Most Alphas will see you as a catch.” 

“Mrs. Weasley thinks I need to be strict with you,” Hermione said. “It’s one of the few things we’ve disagreed on since she’s become my mentor. She’s worried that if I’m lax, interested Alphas will take that as an invitation to pursue you in a more aggressive manner than is typically polite.” 

“My parents are pretty liberal for a Wizarding family,” Ron tacks on, “but in spite of, or rather because of, how much they love you and George, they’ll want us to play a more traditional role than we would have otherwise.” 

“Mrs Weasley has been a great mentor for me,” Hermione continues, “but we don’t agree on everything. Harry, I made a commitment to you, that I’d give you as much freedom as I possibly could. I’m your friend first, and I’m not going to control you. We have to trust each other to keep you safe.” 

“I hate this,” Harry mutters, not able to meet either of their eyes. 

“I know.” Hermione reaches out and sets her hand on top of his. She leaves it there for a minute, a comforting weight, before she withdraws. 

At least Harry’s not alone. 

*** 

Harry comes to understand he’s in pre-season about five weeks after his presentation. He’s been irritable all morning, snapping at Ron on the way to breakfast and golfing down an abundance of sugar in his morning tea. He feels a little like he’s sitting on a live wire, nerves bared, and stretched thin. Hermione, observant as always, calmly passes him a frothing potion in an innocent looking canister and says, “Drink this, Harry. You’ll feel better.” 

Harry trusts her so he does. Within moments, a wave of calm washes over him. He can still sense the prickling energy, but its muted now and he sends a half-lidded inquisitorial gaze at his Alpha friend. “I think you’ll be wanting to head to the Omega Quarters after breakfast, Harry. I’ll let your professors know.” 

“Ah,” Harry says, belatedly understanding what Hermione has already figured out. Ron’s face twists a little bit but he nods next to Hermione. “I’ll ask George to escort you.” 

“Don’t need a babysitter,” Harry grumbles but it’s half-hearted protest. Ron isn’t listening anyway, groping around in his book bag until he finds what he’s looking for and hands it to Harry with a triumphant, “Ah ha!” It’s a set of a half-dozen chocolate frogs. 

“I think I love you,” Harry tells his friend seriously, already ripping the first one open and discarding the card for ‘Albus Dumbledore’ with disinterest - like he doesn’t already have a million of those. Ron’s already left to saunter down the table and whisper in his brother’s ear. George has turned to appraise Harry and gives the younger boy a reassuring wink when their eyes meet. 

“I had a feeling we’d be doing this in the next couple of days,” George tells him about 15 minutes later as they head over to the Omega Quarters, each of them pulling out one of the requisite books and whispering the password to the bored looking King. He’s slightly discomfited to find they aren’t alone when they enter. Susan Bones is there, as is Padma and a sixth year by the name of Olive Hornby who, in spite of being younger than Harry, had presented almost a year before him. Olive is a brunette with eyes that match her name. She’s short but slim and her face is all sharp angles with a startling scar across her right cheek, in the shape of a burst star. She’s a Ravenclaw and he doesn’t know which Coven she’s a part of, but then he’s not as clear on the Covens that have started to develop in the younger year. 

“Olive’s about half-way through pre-season,” Padma informs them and George nods knowingly - the older Gryffindor is very in the loop when it comes to the other Omega’s cycles. “Harry’s is just starting,” he tells the room and shuffles Harry over to settle in place in front of the fire. 

Harry’s distracted by unwrapping the third of his chocolate frogs and George chuckles a little bit and puts the box with the remaining frogs just out of reach. “Enjoy that mate, but wait at least an hour before you start in on the rest, yeah? The last thing you want is to make yourself sick just as your Heat is starting in earnest.” 

“Olive should be in the thick of it by mid-afternoon,” Padma is saying. 

“Olive can speak for herself,” the girl snaps, tossing the book she had clearly not been focusing on onto the table irritably. 

“Of course you can, dear,” Padma says distractedly, not looking at all put out by the outburst. She’s pulling her book bag over her shoulder and heading back out to the portrait entrance. “I’ll be back after my morning classes. Can’t afford to miss Transfiguration.” 

“Fine,” Olive snaps. Then pauses. “Thanks,” she says after a moment, voice sulky. 

“Not a problem, dear.” Then the Ravenclaw is gone. Susan stands and stretches then looks at George questioningly. 

“It’s his first, so I’ll stay with him this time. We don’t have a gauge for how quick he’ll progress. What’s your plan?” 

“Full house,” Susan muses. “You’ll both need the help and Emma and Polly have that Herbology test coming up. I only have classes until mid-afternoon, so I’ll come back and we’ll assess. If I have to miss Potions tomorrow morning, I don’t think that’ll be too much of a problem.” 

“You’re a lifesaver, Bones,” George tells her appreciatively. Harry’s not really following the interaction, currently eyeing the candy just out of reach of where he’s sat and clearly debating ignoring George’s advice. 

“Oh please, George, as if you haven’t had to deal with me in season a dozen times already.” 

“We look out for each other,” George says easily and Susan smiles, a little sadly. “We do,” she agrees and turns to head down to her classes. 

“What was that all about?” Harry asks after a few minutes, genuinely having not really noticed when Susan left. Olive rolls her eyes and picks her book back up, thumbing through it in such a way that Harry knows she’s still not really reading. He’s never really interacted with the 6th year before and he doesn’t have anything against her, but there’s something about her right now that’s putting him on edge. George eyes them both warily but answers Harry’s question easily enough. 

“Logistics, Harry darling. Can’t leave Omegas alone during season. It won’t be on purpose but we’ll hurt ourselves. We take it in turns to watch over each other. You can return the favor by helping out with my season next week and Susan’s in a few days. Once we know more about your cycle, we’ll put you on the rotation. The professors work with all of us to make up any missing work. There’s only eight of us, and we all have different classes and activities with different responsibilities so we have to communicate quite a bit to make sure everyone’s covered their whole cycle. Luckily, we don’t tend to overlap very often - except for Susan of course since the poor dear is constantly in season. One person can hypothetically be the sole support, but we all like to have a floater to step in and help with things every once in a while.” 

“What exactly will you be doing?” Harry asks, brow furrowed. Olive snorts. 

“What the bloody hell do you think, Potter? Making sure we don’t wander off begging any old alpha for a good knot.” 

“Olive,” George reprimands, voice taut. “There’s no need to be so crude. And that’s not what we’re going to be doing anyway. It can be a little overwhelming is all, Harry. Having other Omegas - ones that are not also in season - is soothing. We’ll talk to you, touch you a little - not anywhere private, I promise. And we’ll help you keep hydrated and fed.” 

Olive is looking a little guilty. Harry’s not really interacted with her in the past and he gets the feeling that she’s not normally so sharp. He thinks he probably would be in a similar mood if not for the potion Hermione had so thoughtful provided during breakfast. He decides to give her another chance at a first impression after this whole ordeal is over. 

George seems to sense his thoughts. Quietly, he tells Harry, “Omegas are great friends most of the time. We’re natural allies and usually Covens find that allowing their Omegas to interact can smooth over a lot of hurt feelings and conflict. But we’re edgy during season, territorial. To our hind brains, another Omega in season is competition, even though there aren't any Alphas here to fight over us. It’s best not to take anything anyone says personally until they’re back in their right minds.” 

They’re all quiet after that, for a while. Harry tries to do some work but his brain won’t focus and the potion wears off after a while, so much he can’t really stand still. He takes to pacing and that irritates Olive, who eventually loses patience entirely and absconds to one of the adjoining suites. George sighs at that but lets her be, occasionally knocking gently on the door and stepping in to check on her, but otherwise distracting Harry with small stores and one unfocused game of Exploding Snap before Harry is suddenly sobbing and George quirks an eyebrow up in surprise. 

Harry’s not entirely sure when he went from irritated and vaguely uncomfortable to outright scorching, but the tears are as much of a surprise to him. George casts a Tempus and whistles low when he sees the time. “Man Harry that’s a quick progression. I guess we don’t know what time you went into pre-Heat but if we assume it was right before breakfast, you’ve slipped into full season in only four hours. Padma’s not even back yet.” He looks a little worried, actually, not that Harry has the energy to spend on that. He’s too busy pulling at his clothes, which are stifling him. 

George puts his head in to the room Olive disappeared into earlier and has a short conversation with her before he comes out and scoops up Harry’s discarded robe and tie and hustles him into one of the other suites. Patiently he helps Harry undress further, not even blushing when the younger boy goes full nude, moaning in discomfort. 

“I know, I know,” he mutters softly and cups a gentle hand around Harry’s cheek. Harry leans into the touch, cool against his heated flesh and lets out a sound somewhere between a sob and a moan and George leads him to the four poster bed with its thin, cool sheets and settles him atop them. 

Harry is incoherent already but his body is in pain. He hadn’t realized that season would hurt like this. Realized belatedly, he had only thought of it in an abstract, embarrassed sort of way. But now he realizes he'd do anything to make it stop. And just as much as he’s in pain, he realizes that he’s also, horribly, unaccountably turned on, and that without his conscious consent, he’s pulled a pillow down to grind against. 

He tosses and turns for an hour or so, George talking to him softly every once in a while, wiping his face of tears periodically, with a cool cloth. But no matter how much he grinds and rubs himself - far past any embarrassment a sober Harry would have - he can’t get himself off. He’s achingly hard but can’t do anything about it, and in the past few minutes he’s begun to produce a liquid between his legs as well, emanating from his hole. 

“It’s called slick,” George tells him gently, kindly offering him an arm to pull him off the bed enough to place a thick pad beneath him to catch the fluid before it soaks the mattress. “And I know it doesn’t feel this way now, but you’re lucky it is coming so easily and so early in your cycle Harry. You’ll be happy for it when you have an Alpha.” 

But that was the wrong thing to say, because now Harry is thinking of Alphas. Unbidden the memory of that fraught interaction between himself, Nott, and Malfoy rises to the forefront of his mind and Harry whimpers as he recalls the scent of the two Alphas, caught in a battle of wills over him. He remember Nott’s low growl and Malfoy’s scent rising in challenge. Almost beyond his notice, he comes. 

The relief is transient - a break so brief it might as well not have existed and George looks worried. Because now Harry is chanting low, under his breath, “Alpha. Alpha. Alpha. Alpha.” And all of a sudden he just knows that that is how he can stop this pain. That if only he had an Alpha, he could avoid this torture. 

“Aw no,” George mutters. “I’m sorry Harry. No Alphas for this heat. Come on, drink some water.” 

So it goes. 

Harry, a sweaty, seething ball of flame under the thin blanket feels like the season will never end. He has only flashes of cognition, and goes in and out of consciousness for what feels like hours. Every time he is aware enough to take anything in, George is there, or Susan, petting him gently, speaking to him soothingly, offering small sips of water that he refuses half of the time. There’s one point, where they’re both there, George pinning a struggling Harry down by his wrists on the floor while Susan is using magic to rapidly change the sheets. Absently, Harry notes the high pitched whining sound reverberating throughout the room and belatedly realizes it is he that is making it. He’s desperate for something, his body clenching and sore, tears coming freely and unabated, but he doesn’t know what it is he needs. 

Later, George will tell him that his behavior is entirely normal for an unbound Omega who has not been exposed to Alpha pheromones during a season. Later, he will witness other Omegas in this dire heat and see his own torturous experience reflected like a mirror. But for now he feels isolated, alone, even in the presence of the other Omegas, and desolate, assured of the futility of the fight and yet unable to give it up. 

It’s horrible. 

Thankfully, the mind shields itself from what it can’t really comprehend. And the fever is not inconsequential, it does its part in keeping Harry’s conscious thought absent. He can tell the heat is building, building, building. Susan is there with him at the worst of it. He knows that he’s at the crest of the wave, that here is where he either crashes and dies or comes out whole on the other side. He’s been mostly out of it, but he has a moment of cognition at the very height and he reaches out, desperate, for Susan, wanting the contact of another human being in this utterly terrifying fight. She grips him and its like a dam breaking. 

But in an instant, the scene is something else entirely. Harry is fully in his own mind, aware and conscious, but he’s no longer on the bed, in the suite in the Omega Quarters. Instead he’s somewhere he's not been before - a room in a pureblooded estate, perhaps? It has that feel. It’s a bedroom and Harry is shocked to see Zacharias Smith standing in the center of it, his hand fisted around Susan’s hair. Susan herself is kneeling, naked, beneath him, her head forced back by Smith’s cruel grip. There are bite marks everywhere - her throat, her nipples, her thighs, her ass, but the crown jewel of them is the fresh bonding bite mark on her throat. 

Susan looks dazed, and she’s letting out low, pleading whimpers. Omega sounds, Harry thinks absently, though he’s not really sure that’s a thing. Smith pulls on her hair so she’s forced up higher on her knees and leans down just slightly to whisper menacingly in her ear, “Mine now, bitch.” 

Susan keens and Smith laughs before he releases her and she crashes to sprawl on the floor. The whole thing couldn’t have been more than a minute, and then suddenly everything crashes back to present. Harry is back in the suite in the Omega Quarters, he can tell his Heat has broken and Susan is throwing herself away from him, flush with incoherent rage. “What kind of game are you playing, Potter?” she snaps, making fierce eye contact with him. Harry opens his mouth - to protest, perhaps, or to insist on his innocence in the least - but it’s too late, she’s storming out the door. He pushes himself to his elbows, tries to get out the bed, but its no use, he’s utterly exhausted. His body has had its say. He succumbs to the exhaustion and passes out. 

**** 

When Harry has recovered as much of his composure as he thinks is possible following such an experience, when he’s showered and dressed in clean robes and drunk the potion George has left for him and eaten the chocolate that his fellow Gryffindor had promised would make him feel a little bit more himself before the older Omega had hurriedly excused himself to class, he chances a foray into the main common area to track down Susan. She’s waiting for him - he can tell that’s why she’s there - and the furious rage that had seemed to encompass her after whatever that vision was is no where to be seen. Instead she looks exhausted, but she shoots him a small smile when she sees him and pats the sofa seat next to her, lifting up the fleece blanket she has covering her lap in invitation. 

Relaxing somewhat, Harry accepts her welcome, sliding in beneath the blanket next to her and leaning back against the cushion. He wonders absently if Olive’s season has also passed, hopes it has and that it was less painful than his own. He shoots a look at the closed door of the other private heat room, and Susan catches his glance. “She finished up yesterday. She has a fairly enviable cycle - two and a half months, about 10 weeks apart, about a day in pre-season, and two in full. Padma sat with her through the height, but they both went back to Ravenclaw last night.” 

Harry nods. He eyes her; he’s full of questions but he’s not sure where to begin. They sit in silence for a minute or two, both staring at the crackling fire place before Susan sighs and turns her body a little to angle herself more towards Harry. She pulls up a leg to sit atop the sofa under the blanket, and her knee touches Harry’s thigh just slightly. It’s comforting in a way, and it puts him more at ease for this conversation. 

“My grandmother is an Alpha, and my parents were both Alphas as well. My mother was my father’s second. As I’m sure you know, it’s unusual for women to present Alpha, almost as rare as it is for males to present Omega,” Susan begins, and Harry raises an eyebrow but keeps his silence, his look encouraging her to go on. “My parents were part of a large Coven, almost all of whom died in the last war. There were two omegas, and one of them gave birth to me. By all accounts, the three of them shared deep affection, and although the omega wasn’t exclusive with them, she was happy to help them have a child. It is unusual for Alphas to mate for life in the way that my parents did, but the Bones have always been unusual. There hasn’t been a Beta born in our direct line for generations, but Omegas are fairly rare, so we aren’t as prolific as a lot of other lines.” 

Susan pauses and rubs her forehead wearily. “This is…I’m coming at this sideways,” she says, sounding frustrated. Harry hums, low and comforting and meets her eyes with gentle patience. 

“Sideways is fine,” he tells her calmly. “We’ll get there in the end, and if we don’t we’ll try again some other time.” 

Susan lets her hand drop and nods, thoughtful. She purses her lips and then seems to decide how to proceed. “The last Omega in my line was my great-grandfather, my grandmother’s Oma. My other great-grandfather was Alpha, a dangerous man by all accounts. My grandmother’s Oma was the Bones. We carry his name because my Alpha grandfather was sent to Azkaban fairly soon after my grandmother was born. My grandmother didn’t want the reminder of his name ” 

She pauses, her hand spasming slightly where it had twisted in the blanket. Harry reaches out and places his own over it. “What happened?” he prompts gently. 

“He killed him. He killed my grandmother’s Oma.” 

Harry runs a thumb over the top of Susan’s hand, hoping he can give her some small degree of comfort. If nothing else, he can empathize with the loss of family by violent means. After a moment, Susan continues. 

“For most of my life, my grandmother refused to tell me what happened. It was only after I presented that she told me the whole story. She was worried, you see. My great-Oma, he had a very rare gift. A permutation of the Sight,” she pauses, eyes Harry askance. “I assume you’re familiar?” 

Harry shrugs. “I did sit through a year of Divination. Sight is the full expression of future magic. It’s the highest form of Divination.” 

“Yes, that’s true. And someone with full Sight is known as a Seer. But as much as Professor Trelawney likes to tout she’s got the Sight, there hasn’t been a full Seer in generations. Not since Cassandra Trelawney. It’s a dangerous gift. It drove Cassandra mad.

“But that was the full expression of the gift. There are lesser expressions, permutations like I said. Prophecy is one of them” - Harry hides his reaction here, familiar as he is with this particular ‘gift’ - “What my great-Oma had was Premonition.” Susan pauses again, meets Harry’s eyes. 

“I think you have it too.” 

“So what happened at the height of my season,” Harry says slowly, turning the thought over in his mind, not liking the bad taste it leaves, “that was, what? A vision? Of the future?” 

Susan shakes her head. “No. Well, at least not exactly. It was more of an insight into a potential future. Something that could happen. When my great-Oma was in his first season following my grandmother’s birth, at its height, my great-grandfather saw a premonition of his mate having loving sex with his Second. It was not the first premonition he had experienced with my great-Oma, so he knew the vision could become true. He flew into a jealous rage. My great-Oma didn’t make it out of season alive.” 

“I’m so sorry Susan,” Harry said, squeezing her hand. The Hufflepuff shrugged. 

“This was long before my time. The point is, when the Aurors questioned the Second, he confirmed that while he and my great-Oma had not yet had sex, they had been discussing a strategy to escape my great-grandfather’s Coven and start a new life. Together. My grandmother wanted me to know of this gift, because, while rare, these things do tend to run in families. She was concerned that I might discover it in myself. Thankfully, I haven’t. But she told me something that bares repeating. She told me that the premonitions always surround an inflection point - a moment of change. The future they show is a potential, but it could easily become real.” 

She goes quiet and then Harry realizes the ramifications. “Oh Susan, I’m so sorry.” 

She tugs her hand away from him, turns her head away shyly, not willing to meet his gaze any longer. “I didn’t know he could be like that. He’s been cold sometimes, but I thought he was just, I don’t know, shy? I don’t think I loved him, but I liked him well enough and I’m just….Harry I’m just so tired of these seasons. I’m exhausted. The promise of it calming down, well, I was willing to put up with a lot. But not…a day before your season started, Zacharias formally asked me to Bond. Ernie was ecstatic. So happy for both of us, but he told Zacharias that we should wait the whole length of the Formal Consideration before making it official. When I saw the premonition, my grandmother’s warnings came back to me. I knew immediately what it was. Today I told Ernie I wouldn’t go through with it. He was so confused, he didn’t understand. But Ernie’s been my friend for forever. He would never push me to do something I don’t want to do. He said he’d tell Zacharias the answer was no. Coming from Ernie, that should be enough.” 

“Didn’t you tell him why?” Harry asked, confused. 

Susan darted her head back around to look at him with a startled gaze. “Oh Harry, no, of course not. And I never will. Zacharias is my Coven’s Second, and he hasn’t actually done anything yet for which I can accuse or confront him. It wouldn’t be fair. And I swear to you, I will never tell anyone of your gift of my own free will. You must keep it secret. If any Alphas find out….it’s a very valuable gift, Harry. It will make you an even more desirable prospect than you already are. Imagine, that any one with you during a season could see a glimpse of the future…well.” 

“Bullocks,” Harry muttered, the ramifications only now occurring to him. Susan is now the one sending him a sympathetic look. 

Susan pats his leg atop the blanket then retracts and goes quiet. They sit for a long time in a companionable silence.


	5. Participation

~Late October~ 

Harry tried not to let his anxiety show too much as he waited for his second season - the one that would determine his cycle. Every day that slipped by after his first, he breathed a sigh of relief. Even putting aside the abiding desire to have as long of a cycle as possible, he was more than a little traumatized from his first experience with this physical requirement and wasn’t looking forward to the next. He could tell his friends were similarly concerned, but were doing their very best to avoid the topic. It’s not like talking about it would solve anything after all. 

Instead of worrying himself to the point of frustration, Harry instead tried to focus on his schoolwork, an area that he had sadly let slip given all of the recent events. Hermione helped him and she spent long hours in the library with him. She was, of course, ahead in terms of schoolwork, but she spent the extra library time researching what she could about what Susan had told him regarding his ‘gift’ of Premonition. So far, most of what she had found was rumor and speculation - but she said her research into other branches of the ‘Sight’, which were much more easily found may provide some insight. 

The rest of the school was aflutter with talk of the upcoming Coven Ball, slated to be held on Samhain. The existence of the Ball itself was a bit of a surprise to Harry - it would be his first time attending, of course, as only Presented students were invited to attend. Ron and Hermione had guiltily admitted that they had ditched him to attend in the year prior. 

The purpose of the Ball was to allow Covens to interact with each other in the way they would when they were fully-fledged. It was a practice opportunity, essentially, to successfully navigate Coven expectations and politics in the way they would need to once they graduated and officially joined Wizarding Society. 

Hermione had called the Coven together about a week before the Ball to discuss how she wanted it to go. 

“Officially, we’re allied with Fred’s Coven,” she said when they had all gathered out on the Quidditch Pitch during a calm Saturday morning. She was pacing in front of where they all sat sprawled on bleachers, in the more open space before the bleachers dropped off to leave visibility to the Pitch. Ron was looking uncommonly serious, though Harry suspected that was more to impress his girlfriend than because of anything she was about to say. Luna is manipulating some sort of shimmering ball of light that she’s miraculously kept from Hermione’s sight. Every time the Gryffindor Alpha turns away, the light reappears in one of the Ravenclaw Beta’s hands and jumps around her in excited circles until Hermione turns back in her direction. Harry’s not quite sure how she’s doing it, but the spectacle has caught his, Dean and Seamus’ attention, and they all keep sending each other incredulous looks every time it happens. Luna, for her part, appears completely innocent, and pays no attention to the light when it appears. 

“Fred’s Coven is officially at the top of the Hogwarts hierarchy,” Hermione has continued, oblivious to the shenanigans of the rest of her Coven. Ron glowers at them, but keeps his silence in spite of his clear interest in keeping Hermione’s good will. Harry grins internally, happy to know the redhead’s loyalties where such matters are concerned. “But of course, Fred will be graduating at the end of the year, and most of his Coven with him. Flint and Davies are graduating too, and the rest of the 8th year Covens are so small that they haven’t had much of an impact on Hogwarts politics. When they leave, there will be a power void, and since our year has more Presented members, the 7th year Covens will be fighting to fill it. 

“Why should we even care?” Seamus chimes in, and Harry can’t help but think he’s right to ask. What does it matter? Popularity has never been a high priority for him or his friends. 

Hermione nods, clearly having expected the question. She appraises them all with a slightly raised eyebrow before continuing her slow pacing. Harry smothers a snort when the ball of light dashes up Luna’s back. 

“First, because of Harry,” she says and that sobers Harry instantly. He glares at her.  
“Excuse me?” 

“You heard me,” Hermione responds, unperturbed. “You’re an Omega, everyone is interested in you. Alphas are going to want to court you, Betas are going to want to recruit you to their own Coven. The stronger our Coven is perceived by the rest in the school, the more respectful will be the advances, and the more leverage we will have in considering them.” 

They all look annoyed at that response, Harry for the obvious reason, but Seamus and Dean look less than excited about the prospect of having to deal with Harry’s courting. Hermione clearly senses the mood and presses her lips into a frown, but Ron steps in with a prompt, “Tell them the rest ‘Mione.” 

“Besides the important reason that we want to look out for our friend,” Hermione continues, glaring at Seamus before continuing. “Vying for rank is a hallmark of Coven society. Even if we decide to dissolve our Fledge after graduation, future Covens as well as employers will want to know how our Coven performed inside of Hogwarts when considering us to join their ranks. It’s as much as part of the vetting process as our NEWTs. Aside from that, its not just Harry’s dating prospects I’m concerned about. If any of us want to date outside the Coven, we’ll need to be in good standing to do so. There are not as many restrictions when it comes to Beta courtship, but there are still rules to follow, and the more powerful Covens often have more negotiating power. Is that enough reason for you all?” 

Seamus sneers back at her but casts his eyes down and away in what appears to be unwilling deference. Dean just looks thoughtful but he nods at Hermione when she looks at him inquisitively. “What’s the plan Alpha?” Harry prompts quietly, cutting through the tension. 

“First, everyone is on their best behavior. The last thing we need is to be squabbling amongst ourselves or getting into it with any other Coven in such a public setting. If anyone says anything to offend you, bring it to me before you react and we’ll decide what to do together. We’ll pair up. Harry, you’re with me for the night. As Alpha and Omega we’ll have some additional responsibilities the night of the Ball in meeting with the other Alphas of the Hogwarts Covens and no one will be impressed if I’m perceived to let you wander around without my protection with so many Alphas in attendance.” 

She looks at him apologetically at that but he just shrugs. He’s not keen on the idea of being publicly babysat in such a way, but he’s not oblivious to the ways of the Wizarding World and his lessons with Burbage are giving him more and more insight every day into the limitations imposed by his Presentation.

“As my Second, Ron will need to make the rounds with the other Covens as well, specifically making his greetings to the other Seconds, particularly Zacharias Smith and Blaise Zabini. Dean - can you partner with Ron?” 

Dean nods passively, not showing much interest either way. It’s a smart move on Hermione’s part. Dean is significantly calmer than Seamus, and he and Zabini have always been friendly, much to the consternation of Seamus. Seamus and Luna will make an odd pair, but Luna’s oddness paired with her loyalty to Hermione can probably serve to disrupt any shenanigans Seamus may wish to start. Luna can be strange, but she’s always had a good head on her shoulders and he and his friends have always trusted her. 

Seamus is the wildcard here. Hermione had told him when he was learning about how the Coven had come together before Harry had presented that she struggled to agree to let Seamus join to begin with. At the time, only she, Ron, and Seamus had presented amongst the Gryffindor 6th years. 

Hermione had had an unfortunate first meeting with Fred after initially presenting, dashing Ron’s hopes that she might be able to operate as his brother’s Second. While she and Fred got along fine under normal circumstances, it became clear that on one hand, Fred was more traditional of a Coven Alpha than Hermione planned to be and that she would struggle to follow his lead and second, that Fred already highly relied upon Angelina as a capable Second and that Hermione would be trodding on more than one set of toes if she should try to usurp the older girl's place. So the two Alphas decided they would make better allies than members of the same Coven, and Hermione and Ron forged their own Fledgeling Coven. 

As the only other non-aligned Gryffindor, Seamus seemed an obvious choice as a recruit, but Hermione had never been very fond of the Irish Beta. Ron wasn’t exactly overflowing in affection for his dorm mate, but he was prepared to put in a half-hearted word of advocacy when Dean Presented and made the whole situation a lot easier to stomach. Both Ron and Hermione liked Dean and Dean had a long history of keeping Seamus in check. They both were welcomed into the Coven and when Luna presented - earlier than most of her year - she decided to join Hermione’s Coven instead of trying to join up with one of the Ravenclaw ones. Hermione had been well-pleased. Now with Harry, their six person Coven rivaled the size of Malfoy’s, who had seven 7th years in all, and Ernie, who also had six. 

All three Covens sported Omegas, which Harry was told was important in establishing ranking, but only Ernie’s sported an Alpha sub in the form of Zacharias Smith, which was supposedly an advantage in head to head wrestling for rank. Given what Harry knew about Zacharias Smith following his Premonition, he’d take a million Ron’s over one of him, no matter what kind of advantage it might give them in the court of public opinion. 

Only Hermione and Ron had Presented in time to attend the Ball last year, so the Coven listened attentively as they were told what to expect. The un-Presented would be kept distracted by the Halloween Ball, held the same night in the Great Hall. The Presented students would join for the first part of the evening before excusing themselves discretely to attend the Coven Ball on the grounds of the Quidditch Pitch. There would also be a celebration of Samhain, which Harry, in spite of attending Hogwarts for the last seven years, hadn’t realized was such an important holiday to Wizards until he was told about it in context of this Ball. 

The more he learned about the expectations of the evening, the more he both dreaded and looked forward to it with a type of morbid curiosity. But before the Ball, they had to get Susan and George through their Seasons. 

***  
Three days after Harry completes his first Season, Susan enters pre-Season and falls into a full cycle by the following morning, by which time George has fallen into pre-Season himself. Harry volunteers himself to support Susan during the height when all the Omega’s meet to discuss schedules and they all negotiate times to cover George during his full 3 day cycle. Olive takes several shifts as well, and while she’s much more polite to Harry than she was at their first meeting, he still can’t say he’s incredibly fond of the 6th year. She’s got a sharp tongue and a strong opinion on how to do things, while Harry’s always been pretty laid-back. 

Harry attends Susan when she slips into full Season, and the empathy he feels as he watches her pain and desperation as she struggles her way through twelve hours is overwhelming. He spends the hours alternating between coaxing her into drinking water to offset the massive amount she’s lost through sweat, petting gently up her arms to give her some feeling of solidarity and talking to her softly, even as she keens and moans. He can tell she loses herself to it at times, and finds himself relieved when she does. When Olive comes in to help him change the sheets about mid-way through Susan’s cycle, she informs him that while they are all much the same, Susan’s rips through her fast and furious, given the limited time she’s in full season, and that the intensity an Omega feels at any one time can vary based on the length between cycles that Omega’s have and the duration of their full Seasons. 

Harry has the occasion to compare the next day, when Susan has recovered and has fled back to Hufflepuff to try to catch herself back up. By this time George has moved from Pre-Season to full, but his is slated to last a full 3 days. Padma is taking the first six hour shift of his season with him, and when Harry goes in for the second shift, he finds George feverish and disgruntled, but still able to carry on a conversation with Harry, a marked difference from Susan six hours in. George crankily tells him, that his season builds slowly and that by the following afternoon he’ll likely be as out of his mind with it as Susan was until he peaks the following day. 

Emma Hobbes and Polly Chapman - two Omegas Harry hasn’t yet interacted with much, take the next shifts for George and Harry doesn’t see him again until he’s clearly in his peak and just as out of his mind with it as Susan had been. Resigned to seeing his friends in constant agony, Harry has come prepared this time, with an icing spell that he’s picked up from a book in the library - it allows him to target a specific area of the body and cool it substantially for a short duration of time. When he had tested it on himself on one of his arms, it had been almost too cold, forcing him into a teeth-chattering shiver, but he suspected an Omega in heat wouldn’t have cause for complaint. 

This ends up being correct and after George has experienced it for the first time, he whimpers out pleas for Harry to cast it again and again. Harry does so, but more sparingly than George would like as he doesn’t want it to become too much of a crutch. He teaches the spell to Polly, who quirks an eyebrow up in impressed surprise. 

When George comes out of it, he tells Harry that all the Omega’s will learn the spell but they’ll make a rule that it can only be used once an hour. It’s too dangerous to become mentally dependent on it, and the Omegas already spend too much of their seasons begging for things they can’t have. 

Thankfully, there are so few Omegas at Hogwarts that they all have a bit of a break until Susan’s next Season in early November, so they’re all able to catch up on some schoolwork. The Professors were very accommodating to the Omegas but they didn’t relax their scholastic expectations, so they all had more than enough work to complete. 

Meanwhile, Harry was also attending sessions a few times a week with Miss Burbage - sessions he was beginning to think of as a kind of gentle indoctrination. The worst part is, he can tell his younger classmates are falling for it hook, line, and sinker. He’s gotten to know them a little bit better in the couple of sessions that they’ve shared learning about their new dynamics. The strawberry blonde girl who had been so distraught in the last session is Evie Selwyn and she seems a good sort, earnest in her questions if a bit naive. Harry has developed a strong dislike of Stebbins however, and has gotten tired of the Alpha’s constant leering. He mentioned the problem to Hermione who asked him to let her know if he did anything overt and Ron was always there after class to walk him back to the dorm. It was stifling but unfortunately necessary if Harry didn’t want to end up suspended for jinxing Stebbins the next time the Hufflepuff annoyed him. 

“Today we’re talking more about the history of Stricture itself,” Burbage is saying at the beginning of their fourth session. The prior two sessions had covered first the structure of most Covens and second the typical progression of Fledges into adult covens. In spite of how dubious Harry was of the sessions with Burbage, he could admit that the information had been useful. 

“The most important thing for you all to know is perhaps what could be the hardest for you to digest. It concerns the nature of magic itself.” 

Well she’s definitely garnered Harry’s undivided attention now. He’d never really given a lot of thought to where magic came from or why some people had the ability to tap into it and others didn’t. Strange, in retrospect, given his childhood in a muggle home. But after he’d learned about the wizarding world, magic had always just flowed so easily for him. It just felt like another part of nature - one that only some people were in tune with. 

“No one is quite sure where magic came from,” Burbage says, “but there has been wide consensus in the field of magical theory for many years that it has a form of sentience. That is - it is not a passive force in the world that exists only for Wizards to tap into at will. To some extent, magic appears to have its own will and agenda. This has been proven, for example, in the occasional genesis of new magical creatures and beings - forms of life that have been shaped by magic Itself. Other ways that magic has proven It’s intent has been in the development of new forms and styles of magic. There is more that we do not understand about magic and It’s intent than what we do, but we know that the most important goal It possesses is its continued existence. Magic, for example, has provided insight via the future arts and the gift of prophecy in order to avert crises in the past that would have resulted in large numbers of magical deaths. It played an active role in the development of Hogwarts and other magical schools and it shaped places like the Forbidden Forest to protect its creatures. 

“It was magical intention that created secondary genders in Wizards. Wizards are the only race of being that are consistently capable of channeling and guiding magic, and it is a trait clearly and almost exclusively passed down by blood. Muggle borns are the obvious exception, of course, but even their existence seems to be guided by Magic’s hand. However, as we all know, magical folk are faced with difficulties reproducing the same way as their non-magical human counterparts and magic reacted to allow a method to continue our survival.

“However, it seems that there needed to be a balance to Coven life driven by dynamics. Young, un-Presented Wizards had no decisive role in Covens and Covens frequently attempted to groom young Wizards into the Dynamic that their Coven most desired, in spite of no connection ever being proven between a Wizard’s presentation and the manner in which they were raised. Coven members would try to install distinctly Alpha or Omega characteristics into un-Presented children who were destined to Present as Beta. Slowly, overtime, something started to happen to Presented wizards - they started to find themselves unable to use Alpha voice or Coven magic on the un-Presented. At first, it was only the Voice and the Magic, but slowly Alphas found themselves unable to discipline Omegas in front of the un-Presented or to even discuss Coven matters with their children. 

“Many hundreds of Wizards have performed detail research into Stricture to try to uncover it’s origins, but the consensus has always been that Magic itself intervened. There are no known examples of immunity to Stricture, and eventually Wizards learned to accept it’s existence and to alter Wizarding culture to adapt to it. In time, it came to be considered a gift by many as the newly Presented were able to come into their dynamics without the weight of their familial Coven’s expectations.” 

“What about those who never Present at all?” Harry couldn’t help but ask, thinking of Neville and how the boy had started to look more and more forlorn as he was obviously becoming more and more aware that he was being excluded from something. Harry’s heart ached to reach out to his friend, and he’d tried spending more time with him, but his schedule was busy these days between the Omegas and school. 

Burbage looked somber. “A tragedy,” she said, “Rare thank Merlin, but a tragedy to any to whom such a fate befalls. Many choose to leave the Wizarding World altogether. Others languish in obscurity, unable to bond to Covens as Wizards must. All of the un-Presented have also proven completely infertile.” 

Perhaps there was a worse outcome than presenting Omega after all, Harry thought silently. 

***  
The night of the Ball finally approached. The Halloween Ball, which they would attend beforehand, was a casual affair, but the Coven Ball required more careful attire. Harry met with the other Omegas to primp and preen - Merlin, he felt like a girl - and to dress in his deep emerald dress robes. In pride of place on all of the Omegas robes - each sported a shining omega pendant. Harry always wore his of course, but sometimes he opted to keep it inside his outer robes, hanging on a chain or just affixed to his shirt instead of his robes. Today though, it was made clear to him that it was important that he wore it openly and proudly. 

Belatedly, looking around at the other Omegas, Harry realizes that this is what Malfoy meant during that hallway confrontation with Nott - that he had been “missing something” at the time. Clearly, the omega pendant was a universal sign that an Omega had the protection of a Coven. 

Thinking about Malfoy had Harry battling back a blush. As Hermione had promised, ever since his season, he had begun to find the Alphas he came across in the school more and more alluring. Even Hermione had caught more his attention, her pheromone scent intoxicating to his newly interested Omega brain. He had no romantic interest in her of course, but he found himself turning to face her whenever she entered a room, and listening with rapt attention when she chose to speak. She had noticed of course, and for her part had seemed bemused if a little sad. What she was more concerned about was how he would react to the competing Alphas in the school. 

Which was a fair concern. The first time he had encountered Malfoy after his Season, the boy walking into a classroom nonchalantly, Harry’s entire focus had snapped to the other boy. His scent was heady, and, Merlin help him, he couldn’t take his eyes off the Slytherin, suddenly finding things to admire in the Alpha that he had barely noticed before - the intense and intimidating way he could focus on someone or something, the sharp and cunning jabs he would make to prove a point, his shining blonde hair and Quidditch-honeds muscles, and the pale grey eyes that centered on Harry in amusement when he noticed the Gryffindor’s attention. It took Ron jabbing him with an elbow to pull Harry’s focus away. Even then, he always knew where Malfoy was in a room, the same as he did Hermione. It was disconcerting. 

Of Harry’s newly acquired interest in Alphas, Malfoy did seem to attract the most attention. But that didn’t make Harry immune from other Alphas. While none, including Malfoy, had directly approached him, Harry noticed increased attention from Macmillian, Nott, and Boot, and Hermione told him curtly that his scent had sharpened after his first Season, and all of the Alphas knew exactly what that meant. That was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying to Harry, who fought down any reaction at all at the news and just gave his friend a shrug. 

The Omegas cast a charm over their attire to appear more casual and swaggered down to the Halloween Ball. Harry had attended this every year of Hogwarts so far, and knew what to expect, so he distracted himself listening to the band they had brought in and spending time with Neville bobbing for apples, while fighting back his nerves regarding what was to come later that night. 

After two hours, around 10 pm, Hermione gave the Coven the signal to head over to the Quidditch Pitch. Harry had noticed other older students discretely removing themselves from the Great Hall for the last 30 minutes or so. Making his excuses to Neville (and ignoring the strong thread guilt that wracked through him for it), Harry met up with the Coven in the corridor outside and the all traipsed down to the Quidditch Pitch…. 

Which was beautifully adorned. Fairy lights shimmered over the Pitch and there were high tables set about for groups to congregate. There was live music here too - but it was classical rather than the screaming rock from the Halloween Ball, a cellist, pianist, and violinist had set themselves up on a slightly elevated stage to the far right of the half pitch that was being used. Warming charms encompassed the area. The teachers had told them that there was another charm too - one that would prevent the un-Presented from party crashing. Speaking of teachers, there were chaperones - McGonagall and Flitwick, but they were keeping to the edges, merely watching the crowd with keen eyes. 

The Coven discarded the charms over their clothing and Hermione smiled approvingly. “You all look great. Let’s do as discussed. Mingle with the other Covens for now, we’ll meet up again before the Ceremony.” 

Harry and Hermione meandered into the crowd and it quickly became apparent Hermione had a specific goal, as she expertly navigated them to where Fred and George were standing, speaking with some of the other 8th years. Fred held up a hand when he saw her approach and George immediately fell silent. 

“Alpha Granger, may Merlin smile on you and yours,” Fred said, smiling at her and maintaining eye contact. 

“And to you, Alpha Weasley,” Hermione returned bowing her head and should down just slightly. She had told Harry that custom dictated the Alpha with the more dominant pack proffer the traditional greeting and the less dominant Alpha return it. 

“Omega Potter,” Fred said, reaching out pointedly, “a pleasure, as always.” Taking the hint, Harry offered his hand which Fred pressed to his lips briefly. Harry fought a blush even as he distantly noted a similar greeting happening between George and Hermione. The other 8th years that had banded around slowly disbursed, allowing the allied Alphas to speak privately. 

Fred cast a glance at George, “Don’t stray,” he said and gestured with his head that he and Hermione should step away. They leaned in for a private discussion at a table nearby and Harry raised an incredulous brow at George. 

“Don’t start,” George commander curtly, rolling his eyes. “My brother appears to think I’ve lost my wits as well as my manhood - no don’t look at me like that Harry. I fear my twin has devolved into nothing but a protective brute, no sense of fun in that one ever since he Presented.” 

Deciding to try to distract George from his irritation, Harry waggles his brows, “Oh? Anyone here that you most don’t want Fred to protect you from?” 

But George is not to be deterred. “As if I would give any of these Alpha cads my attention,” he dismisses. “One only has to look at Susan for a reason to stay away from Alphas.” 

“Oh?” Harry asks. He definitely hadn’t mentioned the situation between Susan and Zacharias to the other Gryffindor and was curious as to what he had found out since then. 

“Yes, she apparently rejected Zacharias Smith’s proposal the other day and he’s not taken it well. Their whole Coven is in turmoil over it - and not at a good time. Look at the idiot - brooding over there alone when he should be helping his Alpha negotiate this party.” 

George points his chin at where Zacharias Smith is, indeed, brooding in a corner, with dark eyes held immobile to the demure shape of Susan, where she’s chatting with Ernie, Roger Davies, the 8th year Ravenclaw Alpha and Polly Chapman, Davies’ Omega. Susan is obviously aware of the unwanted attention, casting worried glances at Zacharias, as is Ernie whose expression is looking increasingly thunderous even as he tries to engage in pleasant conversation with the other Alpha. 

“Poor Susan,” Harry breathes and George nods. 

Hermione and Fred are finishing up their conversation and Hermione crooks a finger at Harry who rolls his eyes at the summons, but obeys regardless, giving George a little farewell wave as Fred rejoins him. 

“Fred says there’s trouble afoot between Nott and Malfoy,” Hermione tells him, looping an arm with his. 

“Oh? Did he say what about?” Harry questions. “Nobody’s quite sure, but Zabini is trying to smooth things over,” she said, nodding her head slightly in the direction of where the two Slytherin’s were engaged in a hushed conversation. 

“Zacharias Smith isn’t taking Susan’s rejection well,” Harry tells his Alpha. “George thinks there will be trouble.” 

Hermione sighs. “I feel bad for Susan,” she says quietly. Harry squeezes her arm affectionately. 

Hermione navigates them to where Malfoy is standing with an arm slung around Padma. Harry fights back the irrational wave of jealousy that springs up in him at the sight but Malfoy smiles at them both, friendly enough, and drops his arm from around Padma after a quick squeeze to her shoulder. 

“Alpha Granger,” Malfoy nods, not offering the same greeting as Fred as neither of their Covens are acknowledged as the superior Coven yet. 

“Alpha Malfoy,” Hermione nods in return and reaches a hand for Padma, “Omega Patel.” 

Harry is mollified to see Padma blush at Hermione’s greeting much as he does seconds later when Malfoy reaches for his own hand. 

“Omega Potter,” he says, pulling Harry’s hand up to linger by his mouth, where his warm breath tickles the hair on Harry’s fingers, “Your beauty is a treasured sight,” he says, pressing a kiss to the top of Harry’s hand and lingering there a touch. Harry can’t help but feel just how much more intimate a greeting that was than what Fred had offered. 

Malfoy smirks at him when he sees Harry’s blush, but his eyes are laughing, not cruel, so Harry can’t find it in himself to be perturbed. Besides, the Alpha’s scent is intoxicating him somewhat, in such close proximity, and he finds himself swaying closer to the Slytherin. Hermione frowns and reaches a hand out to grip around his arm, squeezing gently in warning. Harry finds himself grateful for the grounding and shakes his head slightly to clear it. It helps, but only a little. 

The four engage in pleasant conversation. Harry ribs Malfoy for the recent Slytherin Quidditch loss. “Marcus really needed to re-consider his strategy during the last half of that game,” Malfoy says irritably. “He thought having the Beaters focus on distracting Chang would be a good enough distraction for me to find the Snitch and win quickly, but instead it ruined our Defense and their Chasers made a record number of goals. He should have trusted me more. Chang’s a good seeker but I’m at least as good as her. It might have been a more viable strategy if we were playing against Gryffindor, but it was an unnecessary sacrifice against Ravenclaw.” 

Harry blushed at the indirect compliment but just nodded. “I assume you’ll be taking over for him as Captain next year?” 

Malfoy paused and cast a quick glance at Padma, “We’ll see. I may have other priorities.” 

Harry felt that jealousy rear its ugly head again, but he was distracted from his envy when Malfoy directed a pointed question to Hermione. “Alpha Granger, might I propose we dance? I know Padma has been itching to do so since we got here, and she could use a partner that can match her elegance.”

Hermione pauses, considering. She glances at Harry and must note his excitement because she smiles slightly and nods to Malfoy. “Please, Alpha Malfoy, lead the way.” 

Malfoy does lead the way to the dance floor, and holds out an expectant hand. Harry pauses but when Padma steps up to Hermione instead, he realizes that Malfoy means to dance with him, and let’s the Slytherin spin him onto the floor. Hermione stays nearby and Harry can feel her eyes on them periodically, but for a few minutes, he and Malfoy are allowed their own private conversation. 

“I’m afraid I have two left feet,” Harry says, embarrassed by the grace that Malfoy shows as he twirls him about. 

“I think you undercut yourself, Omega,” Malfoy demurs, “You’re quite lovely when you dance.” 

“Not as much as you,” it slips out and Harry flushes red and hot, but Malfoy chuckles, his timber low. 

“Thank you for that, my mother will be well pleased to learn her years of dance lessons have paid dividends.” 

It’s…pleasant, and mildly arousing to dance with Malfoy so close. They dance one song and then another, Malfoy occasionally seeking out Hermione and Padma, to check in. Padma’s melodious laughter floats out of the crowd every once in a while and Malfoy smiles when he hears it. In their third song, Harry finds he has been more overcome by Malfoy’s proximity than he thought. Without conscious thought, he finds himself pressing closer to the Slytherin boy, letting slip, a low, keening sound. Malfoy’s eyes sharpen and he lets out a subvocal rumble which Harry feels reverberate though every part where they are touching. The sound is both soothing and arousing and he feels his cock take notice as a low shiver rushes through him. 

Abruptly, Malfoy directs them off the dance floor and must somehow signal Hermione, as she and Padma meet them immediately. Malfoy gently disentangles Harry’s hand from where it has gripped into Malfoy’s dress robes, against his will, bringing the hand up to once again press his lips to the knuckles. 

“Thank you for the honor, Omega Potter. It is my fervent hope you will allow another opportunity sometime soon.” 

Hermione proffers her own thanks to Padma, and gently nudges Harry, who’s feeling a little shell-shocked away. Hermione chuckles when the two have stopped at a nearby table. “Well, I don’t doubt we’ll be getting a courting proposal from Malfoy presently,” she muses, only cracking up more when Harry looks at her, mortified. 

“It’s not…he’s not…I mean,” Harry says, eloquently. 

“Indeed,” Hermione says, still laughing. 

“Shaddap,” Harry mutters, finally starting to feel more himself. 

Suddenly, the party goes still around them, in the way everyone freezes when a glass is broken in a crowded room. After the first silent moment, the crowd twitches in the direction of whatever is happening behind Harry and he whirls around to find Susan on her knees in the dirt in front of Zacharias Smith, quaking with fear but otherwise frozen. 

For his part, Zacharias doesn’t seem to have noticed that he’s caught the attention of everyone else. He has eyes only for the Omega on her knees before him, and with the silence, Harry can make out the words, heavy with the power of Alpha Voice. 

“I am your Alpha,” Zacharias says, furious, his hand reaching down to twist into Susan’s red hair, curled carefully for the occasion. “You love me. You will obey me. Tell me who you obey.” 

Susan is crying as her head is forced back to reveal her neck as she faithfully replies, “You, Alpha.” 

“Harry, stay here,” Hermione commands, unconsciously throwing some Alpha Voice herself, and Harry freezes as she pushes her way towards where the two Hufflepuffs are putting on a show. But Ernie gets there first, roaring in fury and clasping a hand around where Zacharias’ hand is tangled in Susan’s hair so tightly that the other Alpha is forced to let go. “Susan, get up and go to Lavender. Now,” he commands with yet another Alpha voice and Susan scrambles away on hands and knees before a Beta at the edge of the crowd reaches down to help her to her feet and deliver her into the arms of Lavender Brown, who tucks Susan’s head into her shoulder and immediately turns to make for the castle to get the Omega out of the spotlight. 

Which means she misses the violence that follows, something Harry, frozen in place, very much wishes he too had missed in the minutes that follow. 

It’s brutal and physical, in the way that Harry has really only seen Muggles behave. Wizards have a tendency to manage their disputes with magic, which has its own physical toll, of course, but Ernie must have been so infuriated that magic felt too impersonal. Instead he wracks the other boy under a barrage of fists and kicks. McGonagall and Flitwick look on disapprovingly but do not intervene, much to Harry’s consternation. 

Zacharias tries to fight back at first but something prevents him from getting in any good hits, and after a minute he’s clearly beaten. Luckily it doesn’t last too much longer. Ernie isn’t a sadist, just an enraged friend. When Zacharias is bleeding on the ground - the boy clearly has a broken nose - and no longer trying to fight back, the Hufflepuff Alpha stops. 

Breathing heavily, Ernie stands back and looks at his Second dispassionately. “Susan told you ‘no’. I told you ‘no’. You are disavowed from my Coven. Do no approach my Omega, do not even look at her.” Ernie turns his back and the whole crowd feels the sudden magic of the disavowal rush through. 

Zacharias moans, low, from both pain and the desolation he must feel as the Coven bond is stripped. Finally, Flitwick approaches and uses the stretcher spell to take the boy to the Hospital Wing to get looked at. 

Ron has found Harry by now and he and Dean had crowded to either side to watch the spectacle. “The professors couldn’t interfere,” Ron told Harry quietly, obviously sensing his question. “This is an official Coven event and it is agreed that Coven dynamics rule. Ernie has the absolute right to punish his Second and to defend any attack against his Omega. Are you okay, mate?” 

Harry realizes he is shaking. Surprised at himself, he belatedly realizes that all of the angry Alpha pheromones have triggered his own instinctive response. He finds he can’t answer Ron with words, and let’s out a low whimper, looking at his Coven’s Second with alarm. 

“Oh, Harry,” Ron looks surprised, but he pulls Harry closer to him, giving him a tight hug. It should be awkward - they aren’t physically affectionate like that usually - but instead Harry feels instantly comforted nosing into where the crook of Ron’s neck meets his shoulder to soak in his calming Beta pheromones.

“Shhh, shhh, it’s okay Har,” Ron smooths running a hand up and down his back. “It’s over now. Here’s Hermione.” 

He shifts Harry over to Hermione and finally starts to come back to himself as he breathes in her Alpha scent. It feels like safety and he relaxes. Meanwhile the rest of the Coven has found them, and Hermione nods them over to the bonfire that has started up on the other side of the Quidditch Pitch that is being used for the Samhain festivities. 

“We just need to get through the ceremony and then we can go back to the Tower,” Hermione tells Harry, still clasping him tightly to her side as they move towards the bonfire. 

Fred is standing in front of the large fire and looks at them all appraisingly as they approach. The crowd quiets and he begins. 

“On this Samhain, as every Samhain, we honor our ancestors who have sacrificed so much and who’s legacies we cherish,” the Alpha started, his tone somber and serious. “We honor those Alphas that fought for their Covens and defended our way of life. We look to them for guidance as we face our own challenges and our own sacrifices. Alpha, proffer your offerings.” 

Hermione makes an apologetic sound as she disentangles herself from Harry and approaches the fire with the other Hogwarts Alphas. From somewhere inside her robes, she pulls out a long loaf of bread, as do the other Alphas. 

“Alphas are the head of our way of life,” Fred continues. “They are the protectors of our traditions. In days of old, as now, we offer this bread to our ancestors to nourish them in the way they nourish us with their example and legacy.” 

As one, the Alphas use levitation to send their loaves of bread into the fire. They hover there, in the flames for a moment, before disintegrating into ash. In some sense, it may seem silly, but Harry was attuned with the magic around them and right now it was thrumming. This was important, it meant something. 

“Betas, you may approach,” Fred said after the last loaf has turned to ash. The vast majority of the crowd surges forward to approach their individual Alpha - while some Alphas may be without a Coven, like Nott, there are no such Betas. 

The Beta’s stop in front of their Alphas, who have turned their back to the fire to face their Betas face to face. 

“Betas serve the Alpha,” Fred says, “They are the force that keeps our Society going. As in days in yore, as now, Beta’s obey the Alpha to honor their Covens and protect our way of life. As the Alphas honor tradition, so Betas honor Alphas.” 

As one, the Betas bow to the Alpha in front of them. All of the Alphas stand, stone-faced to accept the offering. 

The magic palpates around them. 

The Betas all righten up. The Alphas walk towards and then through the crowd of Betas, which parts for them respectfully and when they have come to the end of the Betas, the Beta’s all turn so their backs face the fire and the Alphas are at the head of each Coven, facing the remaining, lone Omegas head on. 

Without direction, Harry feels his knees fold in, guiding him gently to the ground below him. On either side of him, he sees the other Omegas doing the same, obeying the magic that is pulsing through all of them. Hermione had warned him what to expect, but he hadn’t fully understood what it would feel like. 

When all the Omega’s are kneeling, heads bent demurely, Fred continues; now standing at the front of his own Coven to face off across from his kneeling brother. 

“Omegas are Magic’s gift to our Covens. They bare our children, and are our heart and soul. An Omega is a treasure that requires our protection. As the Alphas honor tradition and the Betas honor the Alphas, so do they all now honor the Omega. On this Samhain, having nourished our ancestors and pledged our vows to one another, let us ask the magic we have called here, to be called forth for the protection of our Omegas. May Magic grant this blessing.” 

Harry feels another rush of Magic go through him, and then sighs in contentment at the loopy, peaceful feeling that goes through him. Lazily, he smiles up at Hermione who has now gotten much closer to him. Gently she runs her fingers through his hair before reaching down to guide him up by his elbow and letting him lean on her. 

“Tha’ wa’ nice,” Harry slurs, drunk on the power that had run through him momentarily. Hermione nods kindly, and gestures Ron to gather the rest of the Coven before she leads him, swaying unsteadily, back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know - that got intense in parts there! There are parts of this that are world-building and parts of this that are incredibly important to the plot. This story seems to have gotten away from me a bit and has branched how far beyond what I had originally expected. I appreciate everybody's comments and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	6. Degradation

_ ~November~ _

The days following the Coven Ball are…tense…amongst the Presented teens at Hogwarts.Madame Pomfrey fixes up Zacharias right as rain, of course, but for the first time, Harry starts to understand what Ron meant when he told him the whole school had been uncomfortable with Nott wandering around without a Coven.Now they had two of them - two alphas without Covens and it was making all of the other Alphas in the school quite twitchy. 

Luckily, Harry didn’t tend to run into Zacharias in the normal course of his day, so he he’d been rather buffered from all the drama that had apparently gone round the school following the Ball.Padma caught him up as she and Harry were conversing over a game of Wizard’s Chess in the Omega Quarters during Susan’s pre-season while the Hufflepuff took a fitful nap. 

“The guy’s got in to it with Draco and Weasley, already,” she tells him, rolling her eyes.“He’s going to have to make a decision soon - he’s either got to recruit or join up.I don’t think the other Alphas will tolerate this for much more than another week.”

“I shudder to think of Smith as the leader of his own Coven,” Harry remarks drily, thinking of what he’d seen both in his Premonition and during the night of the Coven Ball.“What did he do to piss off Draco?” 

Padma raises a brow at him, “What do you think Potter?” She makes a casual self-referential gesture and Harry flushes. 

“Oh,” he responds, smartly. 

“Seems Smith got over Susan pretty fast,” Padma says quietly after a fervent glance at the door to the room where the Hufflepuff Omega is still taking her nap.

“And Fred?” 

“George.You know Fred doesn’t tolerate anyone approaching his brother without his say so.” 

“Bloody hell.” 

“Yea, Weasley was pretty cheesed off. Smith’s lucky Ron was around too, I think having his little brother around reminded Fred to issue only a proportionate response to rudeness rather than the hex he wanted to cast.” 

“I can’t believe Ron didn’t tell me about this,” Harry grumbles, annoyed. 

Padma shrugs.There’s silence for a few minutes as they both assess the board. Harry subtly appraises the other girl.She’s gorgeous of course - Parvati is too.Ever since his season, in addition to his sudden, embarrassing interest in Alphas, he’s also been much more aware of the other Omegas around him.It’s not really in his nature, but Harry can’t help but feel a tad…competitive with the other girl.Especially when he considers her beautiful dark skin, spotted lightly with freckles (the only feature that distinguished her from her twin, save their Dynamics), her warm hazel eyes, and her inherent sense of composure and grace.The girl was a pureblood too and while the Coven situation might be new to them both, she seemed able to tangle with the demands of their new social structure with much more aplomb than he seemed able to muster. 

Eventually, Harry finds he can’t tamp down his curiosity any longer.“Sooo,” he tries for casual and fails, badly.Padma makes eye contact instantly though, and her lips turn up in just the slightest of smirks.Swallowing uncomfortably, Harry barrels through.“How did you end up in Malfoy’s Coven?” 

Padma laughs, a rich, lovely sound.“Our mothers,” she responds and Harry furrows his brow, confused.“They were close friends at Hogwarts, in the same Fledge after Presenting.Parvati and I only met Draco a few times before Hogwarts, but after we arrived, our mothers both suggested we be on good terms.We’ve always had a polite friendship and he was the natural choice for me after I Presented.It didn’t hurt that Blaise and I had also always been friendly.” 

“A polite friendship?” 

Padma laughs again.“If this is your subtle way of digging out whether Draco and I are involved or planning to become involved, the answer is no, Harry.” 

Harry blushes but meets her eyes, relieved at her response and feeling more comfortable with her.“It was,” he informs her, “but I also genuinely was curious about you, as well.” 

Padma smiles but then turns contemplative.“I thought you two might have hit it off at the Ball,” she says, then hesitates. “Are you…hoping for a courting proposal?” 

“I’m not sure I’m ready for one,” Harry tells her, somewhat surprising himself that he’s able to approach this conversation maturely.“But I had a good time at him with the Ball, there’s just something about him, he’s not the same prick he was in our younger years at Hogwarts.Would it be so strange to hope?” 

“No,” Padma says instantly, meeting his eyes before flicking her gaze back down to where her fingers are tipping her queen back and forth thoughtfully.“But Draco’s life is….complicated. And so is yours.”She shrugs. 

“All of our lives are complicated in their own ways,” Harry says after a moment.“But you’re right, some of us more than most.Luckily, this isn’t a problem for today?” 

Padma smiles again and then takes on that smirk again as she moves her queen to capture Harry’s king in the corner of the board. 

Harry sighs as he admits ‘checkmate’ and Padma’s rook, queen and bishop swoop in to viciously tear his king apart. 

**** 

Ron and Hermione are out on a date in Hogsmeade, and Harry has elected to stay back at the castle, agreeing to stay up in Gryffindor Tower.It’s a concession he makes gamely enough, given the beast of a Potions assignment he has yet to make his way through, and anyway, he knows his friends go out of their way to make room in their relationship for him and his problems, and they deserve a little time for themselves, however they might protest they don’t need it. 

Ron promises he’ll bring back more chocolate frogs and Harry waves them off with a wry grin and apointed focus on his Potions text as they make their way through the portrait. 

It’s fairly empty in the Tower - it’s Saturday and a Hogsmeade weekend after all - so he's productive with his essay and he’s just putting up the finishing touches, when he gets this niggling itch at the back of his mind.The feeling is overpowering.He needs to move, and in spite of himself, he finds himself lurching out the portrait and into Hogwarts proper before he can properly conceive of his actions. 

His pace is a touch beyond casual, bordering on urgent, as he traverses the empty halls.He doesn’t have a specific location in mind, but his body makes turns almost without his conscious approval, and before he knows it, he’s climbing the steps to the Astronomy Tower as if that was the plan all along.Distantly, he acknowledges the whole thing reeks of **magic** , familiar as he is with the ways it interferes with his life at times, but he can’t find it in himself to reject its call. 

He slows as he approaches the final turn and hears voices comingfrom the Tower proper.He can’t really make out what they’re saying, but he can hear enough to recognize the voices and he freezes when he realizes its George Weasley and Zacharias Smith, a combination that couldn’t be less promising. 

Turning, he casts the patronus charm, whispering, “Find Hermione and give her this message: Astronomy Tower, George, Smith, can’t wait.” His stag pounces off without delay and Harry has the presence of mind to hope that it’s late enough in the day that Hermione and Ron have started to make their way back to the castle, before he gathers his resolve and turns the final corner. 

The sight is more or less what he expected.Smith has George on his knees, the redhead’s auburn locks fisted in one hand, jerking George’s head back cruelly.George has one hand loosely clasped around the Hufflepuff Alpha’s wrist in protest, which Smith seems to easily ignore, and is caught between pulling his head away from the punishing grip, giving up, and weakly trying again.There are soft, keening whimpers emitting from his throat, making Harry wince in sympathy and blush in embarrassment for the position his friend is caught in. For his part, Smith seems inured to the sounds, almost amused.His eyes flick up to Harry’s as soon as the Gryffindor crests the final step but George, caught as he is, has his back to Harry and takes no notice of his presence.

“Let him go,” Harry snaps, surpassing his instinctive guilt at the violent twitch and subsequent pained whimper from George when the other Omega reacts to his voice.Instead, he keeps his wand level on the Alpha, forcing the Hufflepuff’s consideration. 

But Smith doesn’t react how he expects.Instead, his lips twist into an open smirk and Harry realizes why a second later, when he takes a menacing step forward and is assaulted by the volatile mix of Dynamic scents emitting from this classmates.Smith’s letting out a husky, dominating scent, as heady as it is dangerous.It leaves the same impression as if one was being cornered by a pack of wolves, saying with no words, be still, be silent, don’t offend, don’t provoke. **Warning** that could easily turn to **threat.** By this point, Harry’s had his share of experiences with Alpha-scent, but this is the first time he’s faced it without the tempering presence of a competing Alpha, and he feels his knees instantly weaken.By contrast, George’s scent is soft, almost begging, pumping out calming pheromones in a desperate attempt to **appease**.The pleading in his scent is underlined by a cloying, disturbing **fear** scent, that immediately puts Harry even more on edge than what Smith’s letting off. 

The combination churns his stomach and he must be letting off his own instinctive response, because Smith’s smile and stance grow more emboldened. 

“How nice of you to join us, **Omega** ,” Smith says, his voice a purr but the word reverberates down Harry’s spine.His hand starts to subtly tremble where his fingers grip his wand.George shakes his head violently, distracting Smith enough that he looks down long enough to pull the redhead back in, pouring **anger** scent, and slowly George’s head tilts to the side, offering his neck meekly in apology. 

“ _Locomotor_ …” Harry starts to cast the body bind curse, but is cut off by Smith’s curt command. 

“ **Silence**.”

And Harry just…stops.Mid-incantation.The Alpha voice is underlaid with a heavy pheromone suggestion of obedience and Harry unconsciously lowers his wand, hand trembling to such an extent he’s sure to drop it in only another minute or so. 

Smith hasn’t even bothered to disarm him, he recognizes distantly.The other boy hasn’t even pulled out his wand, so confident is he that the two Omegas cannot pose a threat.Indeed, he’s stopped paying attention to Harry after he issued his command and instead his other hand has come up to trail fingertips up and down the preferred neck, skittering over what Harry has learned from Burgage’s lesson is George’s bonding gland.Beneath him, George is silently trembling.Not even daring to make the keening sounds of a few moments ago. 

It’s acutely disquieting to see the normally boisterous Gryffindor so quiet and demure and growing up with Dudley gave him such an innate sense of hating bullies that Harry is able to shake off enough of Smith’s Alpha effect.Besides, Smith’s focus on George has drawn the brunt of his scent control, so Harry is able to raise his wand again without drawing the Alpha’s notice. 

He’s just about to cast when a curt, “ _Expelliarmus_ ,” has his wand flying out of his hand and into Theodore Nott’s grasp.The boy had come up behind him, out of the radar of his senses, overwhelmed such as they were with the two teens in front of him, and now he slides past Harry to circle the edge of the tower and stand adjacent to Smith who eyes him warily.Harry makes an angry noise in response but Nott command’s him to “ **Stand down** ,” and there’s no resisting his Alpha voice.Harry drops his eyes and clenches his fist, frustrated. 

“Help. him.” Harry grits out between clenched teeth, although given Nott’s action, he’s not holding his breath.Smith has frozen to observe the action and he quirks an eyebrow at Nott, clearly unsure of the other Alpha’s intentions. 

Nott smirks.“Ask me nicely, omega.” 

Harry games it out.Nott’s last display in the hallway, when Malfoy had interceded, that had been about power.Nott had wanted to establish himself as dominant to Harry early and had responded favorably to Harry’s placative gestures as an Omega.This was more of the same.If Harry followed through with Nott’s command, the Alpha may or may not help, depending on what most benefitted him, but either way Harry would be acknowledging the boy was higher up on the food chain than he was, and if he wasn’t careful, he’d find himself in the same position George was in right now.But he was also woefully short of options right now, sans wand and all, and if there was even the slightest chance that Nott would intervene on George’s behalf…

“Please,” Harry bites out, sighing out a reluctant, “Alpha.” 

Nott chuckles.“That is more like it, isn’t it Smith?”Abruptly, the Slytherin turns to fully face the Hufflepuff Alpha, putting his profile to Harry dismissively, twirling the boy’s holly wand through idle fingers.Harry fists his hand but otherwise holds himself carefully still, not yet sure how this interaction was going to play out and not willing to invite more Alpha voice in his direction. 

Smith releases his grip on George’s hair, issuing a terse command to the boy to, “ **Stay**.”He turns to face Nott more fully and George sways a little on his knees but otherwise holds himself still, only allowing his head to curve downward rather than tilt off to the side as it had been. 

Harry tamps down the immediate flush of rage at the way Smith talks to his friend like he’s nothing more than an animal and shakes his head in an attempt to clear his senses of the pungent Alpha scent enough to think clearly.He could cast wandlessly - _Expelliarmus_ is one of the few spells he’s mastered for that - and it’s his wand, after all, so he has that advantage. But he won’t have enough time to collect his wand and fire off another spell to incapacitate both of the Alphas before one of them issues a command.He could leave and try to get help - he’s quick enough on his feet that he could probably dodge out of the Astronomy Tower and away from the radius where a command could stop him before the Alphas could react, but that would leave George alone with not one, but two, hostiles and he can’t bring himself to do it.So he’ll have to bide his time and hope either an opportunity presents itself or that Hermione and Ron have received his message and are making haste.It’s not ideal, but he’s been through worse so he holds himself as still as he can, hoping he can stay off of either Alpha’s radar. 

Luckily, the two don’t appear to consider him a threat and are rather too involved in sizing up each other.Smith relaxes after Nott doesn’t do anything more than stare expectantly at him and Smith offers him a chuckle and a shrug.He nods down at George.“I was a little in the middle of something.What can I do for you?” 

Nott nods.“It’s more what I can do for you.See your rutting brain doesn’t realize it yet, but you’ve got yourself in a bit of a pickle.While I don’t deny you’ve got the unquestionable right to pursue whatever unbounded Omega your heart desires….that particular one is going to get you your ass handed to you when his brother finds out you’ve put him on his knees.Not to mention you’ve got Potter over here as a witness.” 

Smith’s hand clenches and his eyes narrow as he appraises the Slytherin.“And what exactly is it you think you can do to help?” 

“Well, you see, I’m in the market for a Second.If I remember a certain Ball correctly, I seem to remember a certain someone getting disavowed…” 

“If you think I’m going to play second fiddle to another Alpha after what happened last time, you’ve got another thing coming,” Smith snaps, lips twisting. 

But Nott doesn’t look put out.Instead he just nods peaceably enough.“I’m not Macmillan.And I don’t let Omegas dictate to Alphas.You want an Omega, I’ll get you one.I’m going to have a strong Coven, I’ll need a strong right hand.A Beta won’t do.Besides, you’re out of options.No way will the other Alphas let you keep wondering around Coven-less and you’ll have four Alphas breathing down your throat after this.I heard about what happened between you and Malfoy last week.And Granger will be none-to-pleased you messed with her pet.” 

“I could care less what that mudblood harpy thinks,” Smith mutters, but he’s pondering what Nott has to say.Harry has to smother his own reaction to being talked about in such a way and bites his tongue from speaking in Hermione’s defense.

“This is a mutually beneficial arrangement.We’re two Alphas without Covens.Together, we’ll hold more weight with the other Alphas.You don’t have much of a chance of recruiting Beta’s after that display with Macmillan - not that I blame you,” Nott raises his voice as Smith starts to protest and the other boy falls silent, contemplative.“You won’t get another offer for Second.It’s me or you’ll probably have to leave.What do you say?” 

Smith crosses his arms, fully facing Nott now and deep in thought.The subjugating scents had lessened while the two Alphas talked, distracted with each other and George dares a glance behind him to meet Harry’s eyes.He fingers the wand that Smith hadn’t even bothered to take from him, sticking out of the back pocket of his trousers.Harry gives a tiny nod and with a quick flick of the wrist and a shouted ‘ _Flipendo_ ' from George and a wandless ‘ _Expelliarmus_ ’ from Harry, George’s curse sends Smith careening into the wall while the force of Harry’s spell has forced Nott into a face plant as the Holly wand flies forward, ripping away from the Slytherin and into Harry’s outstretched hand. 

George lurches to his feet and Harry wastes no time in advancing, casting the tongue-tying jinx at a recovering Zacharias Smith.But George is too slow in getting his feet under him and casting at Nott and before either of them are able to pin the Slytherin down with a second jinx, he’s risen with thunderous anger and commanded them both to **‘Freeze** ’. 

The force of the Alphas anger is such that both Omegas instantly whimper in response, and Harry feels that reptilian fear invade his mind from before.It minimizes his higher thinking functions and its all he can do to keep his feet and not beg forgiveness.Nott casts ‘ _Finite_ ’ on Smith, freeing him from Harry’s jinx and he’s not sure what consequences he and George might have been forced to face from the Alpha’s combined anger had Hermione, Ron, and Fred not rushed through the door at that exact moment, throwing the whole room into confusion. 

Suddenly the amount of Alpha anger in the room has doubled, with four angry Alphas staring each other down.Fred wastes no time advancing on Smith, who he clearly has fingered as the primary culprit, and the older Alpha’s greater experience has him ripping the Hufflepuff’s wand away in no time.Fred clearly has lost some of his higher brain functions as well, because he elects for physical retribution over magical, twisting the younger boy’s robe in his hand and slamming him against the rounded wall of the Tower. 

Ron, bristling with unbridled fury has assessed Harry and George’s conditions and has pulled them both back with gentle hands, as far away from the combative Alphas as he can get them in the small space with the boy’s taller form planted defensively in front of them.Harry can’t help but feel indescribably grateful at his friends’ presence and tries to recover some of his composure as Hermione stares down Nott, both Alpha’s holding wands high in readiness. 

“Tell me what happened, George,” Fred commands his brother, Alpha voice coloring the edges of his voice, clearly unintentionally, as he keeps his eyes locked with a red-faced Smith who’s feet have lifted off the ground at the force by which the older boy has him pinned against the wall. 

George rushes to obey his twin, words tumbling over each other as he apprises his brother of the details. “Smith, he surprised me.Ran into him when I was making a run to the kitchen - I know you told me to stay inthe library, Alpha, I’m sorry.He used the voice to make me follow him up here, put me on my knees, grabbed my hair.Then Harry came in but Smith commanded him to be quiet.Nott came in, took Harry’s wand, but they stopped paying attention to us and Harry and I got the jump on them.We weren’t fast enough though and Nott used the voice and that’s when you two came in.” 

Fred grunts and shakes Smith a bit.“Anything to add, Harry?” he growls and Harry shakes his head vigorously before he realizes that Fred’s back is to him and anyway he’s hidden behind Ron’s taller form so he manages a stuttering “N-no,” and Fred nods. 

“What’s your interest here, Nott?” Hermione asks sharply, wand not wavering and Nott doesn’t break eye contact as he responds. 

“That’s up to Smith.Smith?” 

There’s silence for a second and then a disgruntled sigh from the Hufflepuff.“Fine. _Yes_.” 

Nott nods, no surprise etching his face, clearly already aware it was a sure thing.Then he lowers his wand and pockets it, dipping his head in just the slightest bit to Hermione who slowly lowers her wand in response.Fred eyes him out of the corner of his eye but doesn’t loosen his grip on Smith. 

“Very well.Alpha Granger, Alpha Weasley, I apologize for my Second’s behavior.If you scent him, you can tell he’s close to rut.It’s not an excuse, but I’m sure you can understand why he might have a hard time resisting an unsupervised, unbonded Omega.I assure you, we will make reparations for the affront on your Covens.” 

Hermione snorts, “Your Second, huh?And rut is no excuse.He should be monitoring himself more closely and sequester himself like we all do and the Omegas do when they approach Heat.And what’s your excuse for disarming and commanding my Omega?” 

“I was worried about his safety in the proximity of a rutting Alpha,” Nott shrugs.“I think we can all agree its not to his benefit to antagonize an alpha by getting in between him and his intended Omega.” 

“Harry has the right to do whatever he has to to defend his friend,” Hermione snaps. 

“I agree with Hermione,” Fred says, voice just the right side of a growl. 

“I’m sorry if I frightened Omega Potter, but I was just looking out for everyone’s well being,” Nott says, not sounding the least bit apologetic.“If you check with him, you’ll see I didn’t lay a hand on him and I was working on convincing Zacharias to let Omega Weasleygo when the Omegas decided to take matters into their own hands.” 

“What say you, Harry?” Fred asks. 

“It’s true enough he didn’t touch me or George,” Harry says, reluctantly.“Don’t know how much he cared about our well being though, was a little too focused on getting Smith to agree to be his Second.” 

“Which would have had the added benefit of him letting Omega Weasley go,” Nott replies, shrugging. 

Fred sighs.He pulls back his hand, letting Smith drop roughly to his feet.

Then he pulls back his fist and punches the Hufflepuff square in the nose.

They all hear the boy’s break under the impact.Smith screams.Hermione smiles. And Nott doesn’t react at all, merely sliding his hands into the pockets of his robes and eyeing his newly appointed Second disinterestedly.Harry’s hand had stuttered up to his face at the sudden brutality, stifling his gasp and he can see George is having a similar reaction, pulling his left hand up to grasp his right upper arm in a comfort gesture, eyes pinned to the ground.Harry can’t gauge Ron’s reaction, but the boys’ shoulders remain tense. 

“He isn’t to approach my brother ever again,” Fred says, ignoring the boy huddled on the ground clutching his bleeding face and speaking directly to Nott.“If I see him anywhere near George - or Harry, without Alpha Granger’s direct permission - I’ll do more than break his nose.And you can bet that you’ll regret it as well.It’ll be formal conflict between our Covens.Do we understand each other?” 

Not inclines his head towards the ginger haired Alpha, again just slightly.“So it shall be.” 

“Good.Get out.Take this craven, rutting idiot with you.” 

Not nods and turns for the stairs without another word.Ron backs up and uses his arm to shepherd the Omegas out of the Alpha’s path.Smith struggles to his feet, eyes watered from the pain and stumbles after him.Ron sighs in relief and drops his arm when they’ve both passed. 

The lines of Fred’s shoulders and back are still tense.Similarly, his Omega twin has adopted an almost identical tension, peeking up at his brother, his expression uneasy.

“Do you want to explain to me why you deliberately disobeyed me, Omega?” 

Fred’s voice is soft, dangerous.And his question is not at all what Harry is expecting.After what George had just been through…maybe they didn’t understand.He had been treated like an animal, like he was less than human, like he didn’t deserve agency over his own body.He opens his mouth to give Fred a piece of his mind,to explain exactly what George had just gone through but his mouth clicks shut when Hermione catches his eye and gives him a curt shake of her head, mouth set in a grim line. 

But George is no longer the shrinking violet he had been imitating a second ago and there’s fire in his eyes when he replies brazenly, “Are you blaming me for this, Alpha?” 

Fred spins around, and his face is flushed with anger.“If you had stayed in the library like I told you to, we wouldn’t be here, would we?” 

“It’s not George’s fault that Smith is a sociopath, Fred,” Ron says, not sharing Hermione’s compunction about interfering.These are his brothers, after all.George shoots him a grateful look but Fred just looks annoyed. 

“No, but it is my Omega’s fault that he didn’t stay where I put him,” Fred growls. 

“Do you hear yourself?” Ron scoffs.“George isn’t a dog.He’s his own person.If you were so worried about him leaving the library, you should have stayed with him.He was just going to the kitchens.” 

“Yea? And look at where that got him.”The brothers all glare at each other.

After a moment, Hermione gently clears her throat.“However, it happened, it’s over now, and everybody is okay.Let’s take it for a win and call it a day.” 

“He’s not getting off that lightly,” Fred pulls his wand and before anyone else can really react has executed a fancy pattern Harry hasn’t seen before and a flowing green light flashes around George for a second before it fade.George, panicked, pats himself down but can’t seem to identify what the spell has done.Hermione glowers. 

“When Mrs. Weasley showed us that, I didn’t expect you to actually use it,” Hermione says sharply. 

“What. Is. It.” George bites out, looking more than a little concerned, a sentiment Harry can’t exactly blame him for given that he just had an unknown spell cast on him. 

“Omega monitoring,” Fred informs him shortly.“If I can’t trust you to stay where I put you, you’ll stay within 20 feet of me or my proxy until I’ve decided you’ve learned your lesson or that spell will have you facing the consequences.” 

“Are you serious?” George snaps. 

“Fred!” Ron exclaims at the same time.Harry just stares, shocked that Fred would deny George his personal agency in such a way. 

Fred rubs his temple.“Look, it’s not permanent.Mum showed this to me for exactly this kind of situation.And it’s a lot better than what I wanted to do which was to give you a belting in front of the rest of the Coven.But hey, if you don't like it, that option is still on the table.Choose, George.” 

George pales.He backtracks, going sweet.“Alpha.Please.Don’t.”Harry and his friends shift uncomfortably, embarrassed.Fred, at least, looks at least somewhat embarrassed as well.He lifts a hand to run it gently across his twin’s cheek, ignoring the slight flinch at his touch. 

“The spell, then,” he says, softly and looks forlorn when George crosses his arms and stares pointedly at the ground.Fred drops his hand and they all stand in silence for a moment before Hermione makes a motion with her head for Ron and Harry to follow her.They leave the twins to their own devices and start to make their way back to the Tower.

When they’ve navigated the moving staircases, Harry breaks his silence.Abruptly he turns to Hermione, “Promise me.Promise me you won’t ever do that to me.”

Hermione looks shocked and a little offended.“Oh Harry, of course not.Is that what you think of me?” 

Harry shakes his head, anger abated.“No, no.But I didn’t think it of Fred either and here we are.” 

Ron looks a little disgruntled.“Fred’s losing it a little.Mum’s put him under a lot of pressure to keep George safe, in addition to all the pressure he’s already put on himself.I think he’s going about it the wrong way but,” he shrugs, “no Alpha wants his Beta little brother’s opinion.” 

“Out of curiosity,” Hermione says, voice purposefully light, “why were you out of the Tower? I thought you were going to stay in and work on your Potions assignment while we were in town.” 

“Hm.I finished it.But I wouldn’t have left.It was … strange.I didn’t actually make a conscious decision to leave.All of a sudden I was climbing out of the portrait hole and heading straight for the Astronomy Tower.I didn’t even really know where I was going until I was there.” 

“That’s concerning,” Ron says, brow furrowed.“Do you think Smith did something to call you there?” 

Harry shakes his head.“No, I think he was surprised to see me and not particularly pleased, busy as he was with George.I interrupted his plans.But it was definitely magic, of some sort or another.” 

“It might be an extension of your Premonition gift,” Hermione says thoughtfully.“Or perhaps a new gift altogether.Many omegas have unique magical abilities and you are rather close to George.It could be that you’re developing a protective magic for those that you are close to.I’ll start to research it in the morning.See if any other Omegas have developed similar gifts.”

“In the meantime,” Ron says, “can you give me some hints on that Potions assignment….I may be a tad behind.” 

Harry laughs and accepts readily enough, especially when Ron pulls out the Honeydukes bag, full to brimming with chocolate frogs and other treats. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of this story is going to be a bit dark...
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed. See you next time!


	7. Deliberation

**~Early & Mid December~**

George takes to spending an inordinate amount of time in the Omega Quarters, as it is the only time Fred releases him from the monitoring spell.Fred at first attempted to convince Harry to act as his ‘proxy’ for the spell when the two were in the Quarters but Harry flat out rejected the proposition, refusing to participate in any scheme that would help Fred pursue his goal of treating George like a child.Instead, Harry listens empathetically to George’s rants about the unfairness of the situation, which seems to have no clear end in sight. 

The spell is debilitating in several ways - not least of which being that it limits George’s movements considerably.If he tries to step foot beyond twenty feet away from Fred or someone Fred has nominated to act as his monitor (usually Angelina) in cases where, for example, they don’t share classes, George experiences a high-pitched ringing that stops him in his tracks.It’s a violently loud sound to George, but inaudible to anyone else, and Harry has seen him clasping his head in pain more than once, looking determined, before finally giving in and retreating back to his brother’s side.He’s tried to help George research a counter-spell, but so far no luck. 

“I wrote a letter to Mum,” George admits. “But she won’t budge from Fred’s decision.Agrees with him.Told me not to bother trying to find a counter anyway cuz it’s an old Prewitt spell, passed down through the family Alphas.”He sighs, rolls his eyes. 

“Your Mum’s always been awfully protective,” Harry murmurs tentatively, privately appalled at Mrs. Weasley’s behavior but unable to reconcile the fierce but loving woman he knows with this stringent and domineering Alpha. George just shrugs and holds up his hands in wordless dismay.

The two are currently keeping watch for yet another of Susan’s cycles; she’s still in the midst of her 24 hour pre-season, but the Hogwarts Omegas are all concerned for her.Her cycles in November had been rougher than usual and Susan seemed depressed.She had been anchoring a lot of hope in the possibility of a bond with Smith and in the absence of any hope to an end to her cycles, had fallen into a pretty morose state.She was napping at the moment, more common for her now than anyone was really comfortable with but they were planning to rouse her in a bit to drag her down to the Great Hall and make sure she got some food in her stomach before full Heat hit. 

Harry’s second season still hasn’t come, and it’s been a little over six weeks since his first, so he’s already well in the “average” range of Omegan cycles.It’s a fact he’s been assured he should be grateful for from every one of his Omegan classmates so far, some with barely concealed envy.The truth is they’re all expecting his next to hit any day now as well, which is why Harry has decided its really far past time to broach the subject of his gift with George. 

The Trio had discussed it and decided that they really had very limited choice in the matter.The other Omegas were always around during each other’s seasons, and while Susan already knew, she cycled too frequently to be able to depend on her to attend him during his peak.They needed at least one other Omega at Hogwarts, preferably two, who were in the ‘know’ to watch over him that they could trust with the knowledge of his gift. 

“Bollocks, Harry,” George says, eyes wrinkled in concern after Harry delivers the information.“You never get off easy do you?” 

“Nothing surprises me anymore,” Harry responds seriously, looking him in the eye.“But I’d rather this information didn’t get out.” 

“Yea,” George nods, “you’re already a hot commodity, what with being a male Omega and the Boy Who Lived.The last thing you need is it being publicized that you have some sort of variant of the Sight.” 

“Totally.So are you in? We don’t know if I’ll have a vision **every** cycle or not.Hermione has a theory that if you avoid touching me during the peak, I either won’t have a vision or the vision I do have might be about me, but we aren’t entirely sure.If you have any major decisions coming up and you don’t want any hints about how it could turn out, you might want to sit this out.” 

“Of course I’ll help,” George says, and Harry loves him a little bit that he doesn’t even pause to think about it.“I can’t promise I can avoid touching you though, sometimes its the only way we can keep each other from hurting ourselves when we’re like that.I’m not about to make any life-altering decisions anyway, so I’m sure it’s fine.Shouldn’t be hard to work the schedule with the girls.We don’t know when you’ll have your second cycle, but we do know how long it lasts from your last round, so I can approximate your peak.” 

Harry pauses then pushes through.“If you wouldn’t mind…I’m not sure I’m ready to share this with Fred yet…” 

“Don’t worry about that,” George cuts him off.“I’m barely talking to the wanker as it is.Its your thing, Harry, I’m not going to talk about it with anyone you don’t want me to.” 

“Thank you,” Harry tells him, earnestly.“Really.It’s a relief.Wasn’t sure what I would do if Olive or somebody ended up getting a peep show into the future that I would have to explain.”

“No problem mate,” George said, “I’m going to go wake up Lazy Bones in there.” 

Harry nods and George wanders into the other room to collect their sleeping friend.Harry summons Dobby and asks the excitable elf if he wouldn’t mind serving them some tea to ease Susan back into the land of the living. 

Dobby is just setting out the small tea service when George prods a reluctant Susan back into the common area.The girl is wiping sleep from tired eyes and looking more than a little disheveled.Harry notes with concern that the girl had obviously been crying as well. 

“What about the medication Madame Pomfrey recommended?” George is asking softly, shifting to loop an arm around the blonde’s waist as he guides her to the sofas to settle across from Harry. 

“My grandmother thinks its too dangerous,” Susan tells him, voice wobbly.Harry fills a cup and offers it up to her solemnly.“In rare cases, the sedation has been known to impact fertility.We don’t think its worth the risk.Besides, even outside of those rare case, the potion is dangerous to take more than two or three times pre-Bond.They try to reserve its use only for unbound Omegas with traumatic injuries who can’t handle a cycle on top of an already precarious circumstance.” 

It’s news to Harry that there are potions to avoid cycles and he makes a note to question George on it at a later date or perhaps have a quick read in the library.Aloud he wonders, “What else can we do to help you through this Susan?We can see how exhausted you are.” 

Susan lowers her cup with a shaky hand.Wordlessly George dismantles her grasp and sets the cup back on the table, snaking his arm back along her waist and tugging her against his side.Harry can see some of the tension dissipate from Susan’s body, though the girl closes her eyes in clear frustration, even as she snuggles closer into George’s side.Harry reaches across to tangle his own hand with hers and Susan lets out a sigh.She doesn’t answer for a long moment but when she does, it’s quiet, almost despondent. 

“I need an Alpha,” she says.“The cycles are too much.My body is worn out and sore and my emotions are always out of control from the constant influx and release of hormones.The only thing that will settle it is a Bonding.Ernie has been in contact with my grandmother and they’ve decided on an expedited courtship process - an Arranged Bonding.I…I’m not ready, I was hoping so much that Zacharias would prove better and then I guess I was hoping for some miracle where I could find some other Alpha quickly, ideally someone my own age, but I think they’re right.I don’t think I can get through another month like this, let alone the length of a real courtship.After this cycle, I’ll return home and greet the suitors my grandmother has vetted.With any hope I’ll Bond by my next season.”

“But that’s only 10 days away!” Harry exclaims, tightening his grip on her hand in shock.Susan ducks her head and George shoots a mean glare at Harry for his outburst as he strokes a hand up Susan’s back.Harry ducks his head in turn, sorry for his exclamation. 

“I’ve..I’ve met a few of the suitors before, and it will be my choice in the end,” she says.“Most of them are older, with established packs but no Omega.With any luck they’ll be open to letting me return to Hogwarts after our Bonding, assuming my season settles into something reasonable.”

“Do you really think you might not be able to come back to school?” Harry asks, appalled.Susan just shrugs and picks her tea cup back up again, sipping quietly.George shakes his head at Harry when he opens his mouth after a moment and he clamps it shut obediently.He doesn’t have any suggestions really, and he realizes that he’s just going to make the girl more stressed out. 

When Susan has finished her tea and is looking just the smallest bit livelier, they escort her down to the Great Hall where they settle into the common tables that older students have begun to congregate in rather than always sitting strictly in House seatings.Before he presented, Harry hadn’t really understood that these tables allowed for more Coven integration, given that Covens frequently crossed House boundaries. 

Ron and Hermione are sitting at the Gryffindor table when they walk in but Harry waves them off when Ron raises his eyebrows to silently inquire if he wants company.Meanwhile, Fred has sent over Angelina, who recasts the proximity spell over a glaring George and moves to sit with Cho Chang at an adjacent common table, just inside the reach of the spell.Cho, a Beta, is part of Roger Davies’ Coven, but there’s rumors that the two girls may have a bit of a thing for each other, even though Angelina has been on-again, off-again with Fred for years.Fred’s never been very jealous of Angelina though, and doesn’t seem discontent that his Second and sometimes girlfriend may be interested in Cho.

Ernie Macmillan ambles over too and even though being around an Alpha right now is probably the last thing Susan really needs, Harry can’t find it in himself to be irritated.The boy is her Coven leader and one of her closest friends and when he looks over Susan, Harry can see the deep well of concern in his eyes.He settles in across from her and silently drops another spoonful of mashed potatoes on her plate, ignoring her irritated eye roll and turning to Harry to strike up a friendly conversation about Quidditch.Ernie’s got no skill at the game, but he has a healthy appreciation for those who do, and a general enthusiasm for the game, and Harry’s never minded the boy’s gentle exuberance, so they are in the midst of a fairly energetic conversation when Hannah Abbot stops at the head of the table where the group of four is congregated and clears her throat expectantly. 

Ernie looks up with her at a glower and Harry recalls that Ron had told him that Hannah had shocked everyone about a week ago by switching allegiances from Ernie’s coven to Terry Boot’s.While it was no surprise that Hannah and Terry were deeply involved and that she would want to move over to his Coven given the chance, it was a bit of an insult to Ernie that she had decided to make the call, especially so soon after Ernie had had to disavow Smith.Now Ernie had gone from vying with Hermione and Malfoy in terms of Coven size to having only 4 members, soon to be 3 with Susan needing to Bond.Losing an Alpha Second and an Omega was blow enough but then to lose a Beta as well…it was no wonder Ernie was a little sore. 

Hannah shifts uncomfortably for a second under her previous Alpha’s glare before finally seeming to gather her resolve and with a quick shift, pulls out a letter tied with a bright red bow from her robe.She bows her head formally to Ernie and presents him with the letter, “Alpha Macmillan, Alpha Boot would like to proffer a formal courting agreement for Omega Bones.” 

Harry and George’s jaws dropped simultaneously and they both spun to look at Susan how dropped her fork with a clammer.Her eyes shot to the red-bowed letter and she paled dramatically before suddenly flushing and sending Ernie a wide-eyed stare.Wordlessly, Ernie, who looked surprised but not as astonished as the other three, held a hand out imperiously and Abbot slotted the letter in between his fingers. 

“We understand that Omega Bones would like an expedited courting process and I think you’ll find our terms fair,” Hannah continued. 

“ **Our** terms?” Ernie mimicks, opening the letter and glancing over the text there before handing it off to Susan.She takes it with a shaky hand and George can’t seem to help himself, reading over her shoulder without apparent shame. 

“Terry’s named me his Second,” Hannah says, back stiffening proudly but still not quite able to meet Ernie’s gaze. 

“Susan is on the verge of season, she’ll need time to consider after she makes it through her cycle,” Ernie responds, eyes level on Susan now, where she’s finished reading the proposal and has a white knuckled grip on the letter.“I’m sure she’ll want to confer with her Grandmother.” 

“My Alpha offers a gift,” Hannah says, and with another flourish pulls out what appears at first glance to be a hand-towel.Bypassing Ernie this time, she hands the fabric directly to Susan who accepts it with a bit of confusion before sudden realization covers her face.Harry is watching her closely and he can see her eyes dilate even as George assesses exactly what this gift is and snarls angrily at Hannah. He reaches to pull the fabric away from Susan but she lets out her own growl in response, tearing away from him and vanishing the fabric before he can reach it.Angrily, George stands, leaning towards Hannah with his hands flat agains the table top, voice low but tense and distressed. 

“What are you and Boot playing at, Abbott?She’s in pre-season.You’re essentially guaranteeing that she won’t be able to consider your suit with a rational mind.” 

Hannah bares her teeth just slightly at George in irritated reaction and suddenly Angelina is appearing behind George, settling a hand flat against his upper back and raising a brow at Ernie in question.Ernie sighs then seems to gather his resolve. 

“Okay,” he says, all cool tones and even keel.“Beta Abbott, Omega Bones and I appreciate your interest and will give your suit the consideration it deserves.Please pass on to your Alpha that no further gifts will be accepted until after Susan’s _very imminent_ cycle.Omega Weasley, I know you have the best of intentions, but this is a Coven matter, and I’ll thank you to keep your opinions - and judgments - to yourself.” 

“We look forward to hearing your answer,” Hannah responds to Ernie stiffly, giving the minutest of head nods before backing away and turning sharply on her heel, clearly eager to be away from the group.George slumps then returns to his seat, avoiding anyone’s eyes and Angelina straddles the bench next to him, still looking inquisitive but not pressing.She’s caught sight of the red bow, at least, and that seems to have assuaged the larger part of her curiosity. 

Ernie eyes Susan, who meets his eye boldly with no hint of give.He shrugs.“George is right, you know,” he says to her, not unkindly.“If you keep that, this suit is basically a done deal.Why don’t you give it to me?I’ll keep it safe for you, give it back after, if you still want it.” 

“Maybe we should take this somewhere more private?” Harry interjects softly.He’s kept to himself throughout the interaction, but there is still a vibrating tension thrumming throughout the group.Miraculously, they haven’t caught the attention of any of the unpresented as of yet, as that would’ve stopped the whole thing in its tracks, but they’ve garnered a few curious looks anyways and besides, Ernie is right that this is a sensitive matter. 

“Susan is too close to return to the dorms and in spite of what I said, George, I know we’re among friends,” Ernie says. “It’s best to get this out now, the matter is too pressing. Susan - I won’t fight you on this, it’s your choice anyway and if this is the path you want to take, I’ll write your Grandmother while you cycle.Boot’s a good enough fellow, awkward and stiff sure, but I haven’t ever seen evidence he’s malicious. Hannah’s ambitious, maybe, but she’ll be a solid Second in any single-Alpha Coven.But if they’re openly pursuing you in concert, you have to know what that means.” 

“Surrogacy,” Susan supplies instantly, voice emotionless.She’s looking at Ernie but her eyes are a little unfocused, and her hands are gripped tight on the edge of the table. 

Ernie’s lips turn down in the barest suggestion of a frown but he nods. “I’m sure of it.Boot and Hannah have had a thing for years but the Boot family is as traditional as they come. If Boot’s finally gotten the balls to ask Hannah on as Second, I’m sure he has a plan for how to accomplish what his family requires of him and I’m sure this is an important piece of it.They’re hot for each other, and I’m not sure what that will be like for you.”

Susan still doesn’t seem to be processing any particular emotion.She shrugs.“It’s no different than what any of the other Alpha suitors my Grandmother has lined up will want.At least Terry and Hannah are young.They might let me finish out school before they breed me.” 

Harry fights back his own instinctive revulsion.He can’t fight Susan’s practicality, but the horror of the situation she’s stuck in is overwhelming to him.He tries to keep his face impassive but George isn’t having the same success.He looks furious and his finger is tapping hard on the table in an irritated, fast paced rhythm as the two converse.Angelina shoots him a look, but he merely glares back before breaking in, unable to stop himself. 

“I wouldn’t trust an Alpha trying to trap you into a decision to have any respect for your preferences, Susan.If you take that scent into your season with you, you’re as good as sold, and he knows it.” 

This garners a reaction.Susan snaps her head to the side to stare George straight in his eyes and lets out a threatening snarl, pulling her teeth back in a vicious threat.Harry feels chills chase up his spine and tamps down on a worried whimper as the scent of fury washes through him.George, unimpressed, snarls back, pulling back his own lips to show teeth.It’s the first time Harry’s seen Omegas reacting in anger to each other, and it fills him with dread.Uneasily, he pushes back against the table, instinctively putting distance between himself and his incensed peers. 

Ernie breaks it up by dropping a hand onto where Susan’s is still gripping the table, squeezing it gently to pull her attention.Reluctantly, she drops her challenge to George, who is being similarly distracted by Angelina’s hand gripping loosely around his neck.He turns his snarl on her but subsides sulkily when she doesn’t react except to tighten her grip. 

“Suzie,” Ernie says, gentle as anything, and Harry knows his respect for the Hufflepuff Alpha has increased greatly throughout this conversation, “it’s your choice.But you know what George is saying - as untactful as he is - it’s true.If you cycle with the presence of that scent, your hindbrain will associate Boot as being your Alpha partner.The safer play would be to give it over to me.I can negotiate with Boot in the meantime, see if he’s willing to put waiting on the surrogacy in contract.It could give you some leverage.” 

Looking defeated, Susan shakes her head.“No.You don’t get it Ernie.That scent really is a gift.It will soothe the heat.I can’t go through another one like the last.I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.We all know this is my best option.Let’s not belabor the point.”

Ernie nods, eyes kind.“Ok, Suze. Ok.” 

***

It does help.The scent. 

When Susan is laying there, crying and begging for an Alpha, body on fire and mind a chaotic mess, Harry offers her the towel and she buries her face in it, and sighs in relief.She slumps back, hiccuping every now and then, but clearly soothed.He’s never seen anything like it during any of the Omega’s heats. 

George explains it to him. The way that just the suggestion of an Alpha’s presence can abate symptoms of a Heat, but that the scent association imprints itself on an Omega’s brain.Deep down, the Omega will connect that Alphas scent to relief, and become enamored with the Alpha in question.It’s why scent-sharing is usually prohibited until after a Bonding agreement is in place, and why it had infuriated him so when Hannah had offered up Boot’s ‘gift’.It really was bad form. 

The other boy is too furious to help, abandoning the Omega Quarters when Susan descends out of pre-season into her full cycle.This is preceded by an angry argument that George had lost, held privately between the three of them in the Omega quarters just before 

—--

_ “Why not wait for Harry’s season?” George had argued, insistently.“See if you can get another Premonition off of him - if Harry doesn’t mind of course - and get some insight into whether they’ll actually treat you fairly.”  _

_ “I don’t mind, Susan,” Harry had agreed instantly.“It’s a good idea.”  _

_ Susan had shaken her head dismissively.“We still have no idea when Harry will hit his second season.What if he has a cycle like Padma’s and we’re waiting another three months?And we don’t even know how this power works.It’s too risky to let the opportunity slide by.”  _

_ “Its one more season without Alpha scent,” George had argued back.“For all you know, Harry could go into pre-season tonight.What’s the harm in waiting.”  _

_ “I can’t!” Susan exclaimed.“Not one more season.Not if I have an option.It hurts, George.Why can’t you understand?And I don’t want to know anyway,not even if the truth is bad.Because what am I going to do, if this isn’t the right choice? Say no and go with someone even more unknown.No. I understand that its not the choice you would make.But its mine.And you can leave if you can’t find it in yourself to respect it.”  _

—-

So George had left, muttering to himself about stubborn Hufflepuffs and reckless decisions.Privately, Harry was torn.He wanted to support Susan in this extremely difficult choice, but he didn’t think George was wrong about the reckless nature of the decision.When the scent so obviously helped her through the pain of heat though, he was comforted a little that he had agreed to play along. 

When Susan comes out of it, she wastes no time in agreeing to Boot’s expedited courtship.As George predicted though, she’s lost her leverage.Boot refuses to accede to Ernie’s requests that he put off the possibility of surrogacy until after Susan finishes school.Susan doesn’t seem overly concerned though.She tells Harry that privately, Boot had told her that he didn’t intend for children straight away,and had no problem with her finishing out school first.He just didn’t like the idea of the contract and being restricted from choices in that way.Harry finds himself biting his tongue again, not feeling particularly empathetic towards an Alpha worried about losing his ability to make decisions affecting his own life given the hypocrisy of the whole thing. 

The Bonding contract is negotiated between Susan, Ernie, Boot, Boot’s father, Hannah and Susan’s grandmother, at the Boot’s estate a day prior to when Susan is slated to enter season yet again, 10 days later.The plan is that the trio will remain off campus until after the winter holiday to allow time for their Bond to settle.Hogwarts does not make exceptions for mated pairs, so the expectation is that Susan and Terry (and Hannah, Harry presumes, but doesn’t ask) will remove themselves to the Boot estate for each of Susan’s cycles in the future.As long as Susan does not become pregnant, she will be permitted to attend school in the interim. 

So quickly it beggars belief, Harry is bidding a nervous but confident in her decision Susan farewell and she and George make tearful amends that Harry pretends he doesn’t see.George doesn’t hold a grudge, and Susan needs the support more than she’s willing to admit. 

Three days after, Harry falls into pre-season, marking his cycle as exactly eight weeks apart with an extremely fast pre-season of about 4 hours and a full 60 hours in season.He’s secretly been hoping for a bit longer, but takes it in his stride when the rest of the Omegas tell him how lucky he is to have a cycle in the upper middle length range.He takes it as a win, at least, that the season hits before he is slated to leave for the Burrow for Christmas with the twins, Ginny, and the rest of the Trio.

The experience is just as miserable and feverish as he remembers - if remembers is the correct term, given the time-warping nature of the experience.The only thing of note is his second premonition.It comes when George - good friend that he is - is icing him down yet again, having maneuvered to be with Harry during the height, as promised. 

All of a sudden, icy cold reason washes through Harry’s mind and he’s suddenly at full mental capacity, just as he had experienced during that first vision with Susan. They’re at the Burrow, but George is nowhere in sight.Instead Fred, is sitting at the kitchen table, head in his hands and Mrs. Weasley is sitting across from him, speaking to him insistently.It’s clearly sometime in the near future, as the room is strewn with Christmas decorations. 

“I know, Fred,” she’s saying. “And I know it seems unkind, but this is how it has to be.” 

Fred looks up and Harry is surprised to see his eyes filled with tears.“You don’t get it mum.He’ll hate me forever.He’ll never forgive me. He doesn’t want to Bond; he wants to work after school and spend time with his friends and be like it was before this all started.” 

“You and I both know that isn’t possible for him anymore, dear,” Mrs. Weasley tells him, voice soft.“And isn’t it better he be safe, even if he hates you for a while?” 

Fred doesn’t answer, just stares at the table, where Harry sees some parchment is laid out, side by side. 

Mrs. Weasley continues.“You have three viable offers, son.You know your brother.You’ll do the right thing.” 

“The right thing for who?” Fred asks, voice haunted. 

And just as suddenly, Harry is back in the present moment, body twisted in sweated-through sheets and George is launching himself backwards, away from him in shock.George gapes at him, open mouthed from across the room.He takes a moment, collects himself before perching awkwardly at the end of the bed.Harry appraises him tiredly, not sure he can tell where the other boy’s mind is at.His season has broken, at least; his mind is still sharp and not dulled by the incessant fever. 

“Is that what it was like with Susan?” George asks. 

Harry blinks then shakes his head.“No.She was in hers, for one.She told me her grand-Oma always saw visions of potential futures - specifically when someone was at a point of inflection or I guess like, moment of change.” He stops, frustrated but George is nodding. 

“I need to talk to my brother,” he says.“Fred’s not the villain here, he’s just misguided.We spent our whole lives speaking the same language - sometimes literally, in a way no one else but the two of us understood.Something happened when we presented, it hurt our Bond.We’ve both been struggling with it, not just me.This premonition has convinced me of that.” 

Shockingly, George looks hopeful.“Mum is mum,” he says.“As much as I’m frustrated by what she’s making Fred do, I’m not surprised.She’s a stereotypical Alpha, and she doesn’t care about anything so much as she cares that we’re safe.She sees me out there, Prewett-blooded Omega, ripe for the taking, of course she wants me Bonded.But it doesn’t have to be like this.” 

He pauses, eyes Harry, smiles.“Thank you Harry.It probably doesn’t seem like it, but this was a gift. You should get some rest.” 

Harry sends him a shaky smile, closes his eyes, flips into unconsciousness as easy as breathing.


	8. Resolution

~Late December~

Harry can’t deny his excitement at being permitted to go to the Burrow this year for Christmas with Hermione and Ron.There had been some discussion of congregating at Grimmauld Place instead, but by all accounts, Molly Weasley had put her foot down and insisted the Burrow would be safe enough given some recent protections put in place.Harry wasn’t privy to the details of those protections, but he trusted the Order and the Weasleys to judge that side of things well enough.

He’d never had a real Christmas outside of Hogwarts before.During his childhood with the Dursleys, the holidays had been a time of soul-sucking isolation, interrupted only by sporadic bursts of delighted taunting from his spoiled cousin.Hogwarts had been his first taste of thejoys of Christmas, surrounded by friends, but even then it had still resonated with a sense of loneliness given the nature of the empty halls and dorm.So he was pretty thrilled to get to be around all the people he loved most in the world for this one. 

The trio and the other Weasleys boarded the Hogwarts Express and as far as Harry could tell, George had yet to have his planned heart-to-heart with his Alpha twin.There was still a coldness between the two of them.The only bright spot was that Fred had announced to his Coven that he would be lifting the proximity spell permanently once the twins had returned to their childhood home.By George’s telling, even that concession had been an exercise in condescension.Fred had apparently gathered the Coven for their usual weekly congregation and announced that George had ‘paid his dues’ and was now ‘forgiven’ for his transgression in wandering off alone that had culminated in that confrontation in the Astronomy Tower. 

George had been quietly infuriated by the whole thing but clearly had no urge to shake the boat when freedom was so nearly in sight.Harry privately wondered what his plan was to confront Fred before the vision they had shared during Harry’s season came to fruition, but George hadn’t brought up the topic again and Harry was loathe to infringe on the other Omega’s privacy.To that end, he had kept the vision to himself, even from Ron and Hermione.Although both had been eager to know what had occurred during the season, they had contented themselves with Harry’s telling that while a Premonition had happened, he wouldn’t divulge the details for George’s sake.Hermione had had an easier time with that answer than Ron, who Harry could tell was biting his tongue, but to the youngest Weasley son’s credit, he hadn’t pressed Harry further. 

As much as Harry was excited for Christmas at the Burrow, he couldn’t help but be a tad concerned at the pervasive tension that threaded through the group with Fred and George’s relationship at its center.Harry knew Ron and Hermione shared much the same opinion on the situation as he did, and held a low-grade anger at Fred’s treatment of his brother coupled with a desire to stay out of the fray unless George asked.The one he couldn’t get a read on was Ginny.She was in a particularly precarious position given her role both as a Beta in Fred’s Coven and sister to them both.For the most part, the girl seemed to keep her own counsel, though Harry thought he knew her well enough to suspect she didn’t approve of what was going on. 

Fred seemed to sense that his opinion on how to treat Omegas was in the minority within the group and the result was a sulkiness that Harry had never previously associated with the mischievous teen.Given what Harry had witnessed in the Premonition, he couldn’t help feeling a smidgen compassionate for the Alpha. 

The Weasleys picked them up from King’s Cross, accompanied by an undercover Tonks in the guise of a portly old, bearded man and an evidently tired Remus Lupin who greeted a delighted Harry with a warm smile and an awkward pat on the shoulder.Then it was a flurry of hugs from the adult Weasleys and a chaos of luggage management before Arthur Weasley was proffering a muggle toy fire truck to Harry who looked at it askew before Ron nudged him with a muttered, “Portkey, mate,” and Harry was being jerked away by magic to land in a tumble in the Weasley gardens, lush with green and temperate in spite of the English winter raging outside the magical boundaries. 

The rest of the party was able to keep their feet and more than one laughs openly when Harry, still nauseated, throws himself spread eagled on the grass, groaning. 

“On your feet, Potter,” comes an unexpected voice, reaching down to help the Gryffindor to his feet.Harry takes the hand with a self-conscious chuckle and grins wider when he’s staring up into Bill Weasley’s eyes.He’s instinctively stepping forward to wrap his arms around the eldest Weasley child in greeting when he catches the man’s virile Alpha scent, strong enough that Harry has to catch himself from letting out a submissive mewl.Luckily the whole situation is saved by the nearly simultaneous release of Omega *warning* scent and Harry is taking an awkward shuffling step back in retreat.Bill chuckles and reaches out to steady the boy with a hand to the shoulder, ignoring Harry’s instinctive shift of the head to bare the side of his neck in offering to the Alpha in such close proximity.It doesn’t feel mean though, as Bill glances over his shoulder and beckons the Omega behind him. 

“Come on over sweetheart and greet our guests,” he tells her, and Harry’s grin widens when he recognizes Fleur Delacour, who’s sending him a smile in return along with an apologetic little wave. 

“Hello, everyone,” the beautiful girl says, looking beyond Harry to encompass the rest of the group in her greeting.Bill winds a proprietary hand around her slim waist and the girl essentially melts into his touch.

Harry looks up to the Burrow to see a young man he doesn’t recognize, slim and of middling height with shoulder length black hair and a slightly frown on his face watching the interaction, but showing no inclination to approach. 

Mrs. Weasley claps her hands and instantly the attention is diverted to her; the woman has always commanded the Burrow, but now that he is Presented - as are all of the others - he notes the immediate deference the rest of the group gives her, an Alpha in her own territory.The Weasley matriarch is smiling broadly, looking well-pleased. 

“We are so fortunate that Bill, Fleur, and Raphael have been able to join us for the holidays.Charlie and Percy unfortunately have work and Coven conflicts, but its a pure joy to me to have so many of my children at home at once.Now, Arthur and I thought you all might appreciate a little space from each other, so we’ve set up a few tents out here.I’ve set up Percy’s bedroom for the Omegas to nest in, and Bill and Fred you have your rooms, of course.Ron, if you wouldn’t mind sharing your space with Raphe.Hermione and Tonks can share one of the tents out here and Remus, of course, a tent for you as well.”

There’s a chorus of affirmations.Harry doesn’t mind sharing, of course - he lived most of his formative years in a cupboard, after all - but he does wrinkle his eyes a bit in confusion at the idea of sharing with Fleur.Neither George nor Fleur seem disturbed, however, so he shakes it off and hoists his bag to convey to his designated room.Fleur’s already settled in and he and George playfully grapple for the bed nearest the garden-facing window that Fleur had so thoughtfully left for one of them, before George accedes with a put-upon sigh.He winks at Harry however, and acknowledges the playfulness of it all, “You are the guest, mate.” 

“Kinda weird to be sharing with Fleur isn’t it?” Harry asks softly.George shrugs. 

“I’m not surprised.Guess its pretty common to room omegas together at big gatherings, and mum won’t have an Omega room with an Alpha or Beta, so she’s got limited options even if she weren’t pretty traditional.Just think of it like the Quarters.’s not like you’re attracted to her, right?” 

And Harry belatedly realizes its true.He shakes his head silently and George nods solemnly.“Yea,” he says and for the barest second, perhaps it is even just Harry’s imagination, the other boy sounds a little sad.“Didn’t think you would be.” 

They settle in quickly and head back down to the kitchens and den.Harry takes in the haphazard Christmas decorations adorning the walls and ceiling, and various surfaces, the oversized tree strew with ornaments.It’s everything he’s always loved about the Burrow - the organized pandemonium - but its disquieting to see the environment of his Premonition reflected back.George must notice it to, but the boy shakes it off, clearly thrilled about his new lack of proximity spell (Fred had removed it in the garden after they arrived), and goes off to chat with Bill who is holding court with Ginny and Ron already. 

Harry lets the siblings have their time together and seeks out Hermione who’s out in the garden, where Molly has setup a buffet style meal for them to eat at their leisure.He fills his plates with her delicious cooking, shaking his head with a smile when she comes up behind him and adds another roll to his plate, squeezing his neck affectionately before moving on to fuss over Raphael, who is looking out of place and a little bit awkward.Soon enough, she’s corralled him a plate and is settling him down to sit across from where Hermione’s taken a seat off to the side.After a moment, the two seem to fall into fairly easy conversation. 

Casting about for his own conversational partner, Harry smiles when he finds Lupin beckoning him over.The sun is making its slow descent and the two sit together in companionable silence while it falls below the horizon of the greenery within their sight.Fairy lights illuminate the garden thereafter - magical bulbs of soft light that flitter above and cast a homey and pleasant atmosphere. 

Eventually, Harry notices that Lupin is appraising him. He raises an eyebrow at the other man. 

“How are you holding up with everything, Harry?” Remus asks him softly, eyes earnest as they hold Harry’s gaze. 

Harry shrugs.“As well as can be expected, I guess,” he tells the other man freely.“I’m not exactly thrilled at finding out there were yet more secrets about my life, but I suppose I can’t be mad at that given Stricture.” 

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be anything,” the older man says softly.“I think we all go through the same emotions the first few years after Presenting.It can be hard to find our place.Particularly if you’re an Alpha or Omega.Or so I’m hold.” 

“My dad…,” Harry starts.“He was your Alpha, right?What was that like?” 

“Yes,” Remus nods.“We were tight knit, stayed in our Fledge after Hogwarts.Your dad was a good Alpha, a kind one. His family wasn’t as traditional as some and he was secure enough he didn’t feel the need to flash his authority at every opportunity.Sirius was a Beta, his Second.No one questioned that, it was obvious how the structure should work and I was just so grateful at being included…Peter was a Beta too, and with Lily as our Omega I felt as if I had fallen into this instant family bond that could never be broken….” 

“And then Peter betrayed you,” Harry finishes for him, quietly.

“Yes,” Remus pauses.“I didn’t realize it at the time, but Peter and James had gotten into it.An argument about Lily.James wasn’t open to sharing Lily with the rest of the Coven - Sirius and I would never dared have asked.I personally never even considered children - given the curse, I was worried I would pass it down.And Sirius, well Sirius had his own concern about bringing another Black into the world, even if he had ever had any interest in Lily, which he didn’t.But Peter was hopeless at romance and he had no chance of attracting another Omega or really even another Beta into the Coven.If he wanted children, his only option was Lily.James told him ‘no’ and thought that was the end of it.But the Dark Lord…he had ways of finding people like Peter, unsatisfied with Wizarding Society as it is, and making them promises.I’m sorry Harry, I’m afraid this conversation has really veered out of the realm of holiday spirit.” 

“Don’t be sorry,” Harry said immediately.“These are things I want to know.It’s a gift to me Remus, really, even if some of it is hard to hear.” 

The two are quiet for a fewmore minutes, Harry racking his brain to find something to say to break up the sense of pervasive loneliness surrounding the man, but coming up short.As if reading his mind, Remus’ tone is much lighter when he speaks again. “Molly took me in a few years later. She’s a kind woman, a good Alpha.I’ve been fortunate.” 

“Who all is in her Coven?” Harry asks curiously.“I haven’t really gotten a sense of it and I hadn’t thought to ask Ron.” 

“She’s the primary Alpha for the Order, so her Coven is very large,”Remus says.“There are a few other allied Covens in the order, but the overall circle is small and Molly’s at the center.Tonks and I are two of her Betas, as is Arthur of course.Bill is her second.” 

“Wait, really?” Harry interrupts, surprised. “Not Arthur?” 

Remus laughs but then sobers.“Arthur’s a great Beta and a supportive husband but he’s got no interest in a leadership role.Molly and Arthur fell in love when they were very young and when Molly was just starting out.Molly had a large family you know, and one of her brothers, Gideon, also an Alpha was her Second and the rest of her siblings, two of them Omegas, joined her Coven as they presented.The Prewetts were famous for their fertility - Molly and her siblings’ parents were a Beta and Omega, you know - and it made them a target during the War.The Dark Lord kidnapped one of her Omega siblings during a raid about a year before he cast that failed Killing Curse.Gideon and her Beta brother, Fabian, were killed trying to save her.We found out later that her sister died in childbirth not long after, the baby too.” 

“That’s terrible,” Harry breathes, completely shocked.“What…what about the other Omega?” 

Remus is silent for a minute then sighs.“He killed himself.Poison.I don’t think Molly has ever forgiven herself.” 

“Merlin, no wonder she’s so overprotective.” 

Remus nods.“I’m sure George’s Presentation brought back a lot of emotion from that time.The Prewetts were close.Bill is named for the Omega brother who died.I’m telling you all this because I think you should prepare yourself for some surprises from Molly in the coming days.Try to remember that its’s coming from a good place - she loves you like one of her own, you know.” 

“I do know,” Harry acknowledges.“I’ll remember what you’ve said.” 

Remus appraises him.“You’re a strong wizard Harry, and you know your own mind.I stand in awe of your courage over the years I’ve known you.Your being an Omega doesn’t change that.You’re the closest thing to a son I’ll ever have. If you need me, seek me out.I’ll do what I can for you.You have my word.” 

Harry fills with warmth at the older man’s words and he nods jerkily, too choked up to trust himself to speak.They sit in companionable silence for a time before the raucousness of the party behind them draws them both in. 

*** 

The excitement of the day keeps Harry from paying too much attention to any potential awkwardness at sharing a room with Fleur and he falls into bed with a contented sigh, warm with the feeling of family.The next morning he wakes up equally contented.He’s surprised to find himself alone in the room, both of the other Omegas having already arisen but their scents have pervaded the room, filling it with the same comfortable sense of peace he feels in the Omega Quarters at Hogwarts. 

After a few moments of debate regarding leaving that overly comfortable spot in his bed, Harry’s rumbling stomach makes the decision for him and he finds himself ambling out of bed, making a quick pitstop to freshen up before descending on the kitchen for breakfast.This is where he finds nearly the entire family, seated before a large breakfast bounty, with the noise just the right side of jarring. 

Ron, noticing Harry in the doorway, scoots forcefully against Ginny on his other side, making space for Harry to squeeze onto the bench between him and Fleur, with Hermione across from them.Harry squeezes in and begins filling his plate with the traditional English breakfast fare in front of him.He’s just finishing up a sausage when a gorgeous eagle owl swoops in through the window carrying two letters on its legs.Owls have been periodically appearing throughout the morning, two alone to deliver separate copies of ‘The Daily Prophet’ to Mrs Weasley and Bill, but the eagle owl captures his attention immediately, first because he recognizes this particular bird as belonging to Draco Malfoy and second because one of the letters tied to its skinny legs is adorned with a bright red bow. 

The appearance of what is clearly a courting proposal causes a cascading silencing effect across the inhabitants of the kitchen.The owl settles imperiously in front of Harry, somehow avoiding dipping its wings into any of the available food and proffers the leg.With shaky hands, Harry gently unties the letter and offers an owl treat from the bowl on the table in gratitude.The owl takes the treat quickly and launches herself, with second letter still attached to the other leg.She perches in old Errol’s spot, nudging the old owl over with less than a ‘how do you do’ and stares calmly at Harry with overly intelligent eyes. 

Hermione raises an eyebrow at Harry who is still sitting there frozen, hand still aloft holding the letter with all eyes on the table glued to him.“Well?” she prompts and Harry gives a self-deprecating chuckle before finally pulling himself together and hunting the string. 

Unlike the prior courting proposal he had received from Boot, this one carries a short personal missive before what Ron had informed him previously was the standard text of a proposal. 

It reads: 

_ Omega Potter -  _

_ It is with some level of nervous excitement that I write you to proffer an opportunity for a potential courting agreement.While I know this may catch you unawares, I have been an admirer of yours from afar for a long time, and have been unable to think of any other since our dance at the Coven Ball.Desdemona also carries a letter, as is tradition, for your chosen Coven Alpha, but since you are the one I am interested in, I rather thought you should be the first to read my proposal.If you give her permission, Desdemona will leave the letter for Alpha Granger as well.  _

_ I eagerly anticipate your reply. _

_ Regards, _

_ Alpha Draco Malfoy  _

The follows the text of the standard proposal which Harry skims before looking up to see that the room is still mostly staring at him.Harry turns to the eagle owl and gives her a smile.“Go ahead then,” he says and the owl chirps before swooping down to hover in front of Hermione who quickly unties the letter and allows the owl to take her leave. 

“Don’t keep us hanging!” Bill says with a laugh, “Who’s got you in their sights?” 

“Draco Malfoy,” Ron answers for him, obviously also having identified the letter carrier.“Blimey.” 

Hermione is skimming her letter and folds it quietly into the pocket of her oversized sweater before looking to Harry.Looking around, Harry notes varying reactions to Ron’s pronouncement, with polite interest coming from Bill and Fleur, and varying levels of shock coming from the Hogwarts contingent.Molly and Remus, however, look more than a little concerned. 

Harry himself can’t help the thrum of excitement that pulses through him.He asked, he really asked!He hadn’t been sure if it would happen, particularly after that conversation with Padma, even in spite of what he knew had been mutual attraction at the Ball.He feels the warm flush of flattery strike through him, and his cheeks turn red, generating a few chuckles from the others when they catch on.Fleur asks Bill a question in a lowtone off to the side and, perhaps sensing that they were putting to much attention on him, the rest of the table returned to their conversations.

Harry tucks the letter away as well, and Ron nudges his tea a little closer in suggestion.Harry takes a sip and tries to calm his mind a bit.He doesn’t have to answer right this second. 

Molly appears behind Harry and addresses Hermione as quietly as possible given the general volume of the room. 

“Hermione dear, the Order is convening later today and have requested that you join for a short time.” 

Hermione frowns.“Me, Mrs. Weasley?Whatever for?”

“Perhaps this isn’t the best time to discuss the particulars dear,” Molly responds, voice disapproving.But Hermione doesn’t look satisfied. 

“The only reason the Order will want to be speaking with me is if it is about Harry,” she says, voice confident.“And I’m not going to discuss him without his being in the room.I’ll attend if he’s invited as well.Ron too, as my Second.” 

“I’m not sure that’s appropriate,” the matriarch replies, and this time her voice is definitely veering towards angry.Harry tenses when her Alpha scent turns sharp with irritation.Hermione’s rises in response, and while her’s is not as mature and pungent as Molly’s, it has its own bite.Ron, not as sensitive to the pheromones, picks up on Harry’s discomfort none the less, and subtly shifts closer to him, so their sides are touching.Harry sends him an appreciative glance, starting to become accustomed to the more physical nature their relationship has taken on since his Presentation.His friend smiles slightly, but keeps his gaze locked on Hermione, who is meeting Molly glare for glare. 

“What’s not appropriate is to make decisions about someone when they don’t have the opportunity to speak for themselves.If you have a plan for Harry, the three of us are willing to entertain it, but I won’t go in alone.” 

The anger scent spikes further but Mrs. Weasley is not a seasoned Alpha for nothing and if nothing else, she’s not about to make a scene in her own home, surrounded by guests.“I’ll convey your **request** to the Order,” she bites out, before turning on her heel and noisily begin collecting plates. 

Hermione jerks her head suggestively at Harry and Ron and they obediently follow her lead to the relative privacy of the garden.Hermione keeps walking until they’re at the edge of the frog pond before huffing and plopping down to sit. Ron and Harry exchange glances before crowding around on either side. 

“I’m surprised Molly would mention the Order in front of Raphael,” Harry observes, deciding to start with a relatively innocuous topic.Hermione nods, and some of the tension she’s carrying starts to abate. 

“I would have thought so too, but I got to talking with him last night.You know how Fleur and Bill are to be Bonded?” Harry and Ron nod, it had been announced last night, to much merriment.“Raphael is Fleur’s official Escort.Fleur’s Alpha designated him to watch over her during the holiday until Fleur can return to her Coven before the Bonding.Raphe seems a good sort, just a little suspicious of Bill, as I suppose, any good Escort would be.Bill is Molly’s Second and thus holds a fairly high position in the Order.He’s been convincing foreign wizards to join the cause and Fleur’s Coven are some of his most ardent recruits.The Bonding can only help cement the alliance, and it helps that the two are sincerely crazy about each other.It’s quite a sign of trust that a Coven leader would allow his Omega into another Coven’s territory without him, even with an assigned escort.” 

“Oh, wow,” Harry says, surprised.

“What do you want to do about Malfoy’s proposal?” Hermione asks, abruptly.Harry blinks and feels his cheeks heat up again. 

“Um…I don’t know.What do you guys think?” 

“Oh no, nah uh, mate,” Ron says, “There’s no way we’re getting in the middle of that.What do you want to do?” 

“Ron’s right, Harry,” Hermione agrees.“You shouldn’t let our opinions influence you.Is this something that sparks your interest?” 

Harry contemplates it, for real this time.“I’m really not very sure,” he admits.“I really do like Malfoy, and if we were both Betas, I don’t think I’d hesitate in just … seeing where things go.But after Susan… she got Bonded so fast.And now, what? She doesn’t even get to decide if she returns to school?She’s basically property?I don’t want that for myself.” 

“I can understand that,” Ron says, leaning back.“Don’t blame you.But Susan was also an exceptional case.She was chomping at the bit to get bonded, since she was in so much pain.Your cycles are more manageable.There’s no need to rush.” 

“You can take all the time you want, Harry,” Hermione agrees.“Either courting or not courting.Either way, you know we’ll support you.And we’ve had complicated history with Malfoy, there’s no denying that.” 

“He seems different now, though,” Harry says, turning it over in his mind.Ron and Hermione both nod but don’t say anything. 

“I can really break it off at any time?” Harry asks.“It’s not some massive insult to turn him down after courting for a bit?” 

“There might be some politics,” Hermione shrugs.“Covens gain power through growing members and through forming alliances.An important way that we form alliances is through the courtships of our Omegas.Traditionally, part of getting to know an interested Alpha will be getting to know his Coven better, and through his Coven getting to know us.If a courtship is broken indelicately, there are complexities that we may have to navigate.But Harry, neither of us, and we’ll ensure none of the rest of the Coven, will hold it against you if things go sideways.Ultimately, it is your future at stake.” 

“If we do this, what’s the next step?” 

“We’ll send a letter with terms,” Hermione says promptly.“It’s pretty standard.Like Fleur, you’ll have an Escort.It will probably fall to Ron for the most part, as having another Alpha around can interfere with things.Malfoy will most likely designate a member of his Coven, most likely Zabini, his Second, to act as Observer.This is traditionally so that the Coven alliances can be precipitated.In addition to the two of you getting to know each other, there will be time for Escort and Observer to form a relationship as well.If you’re curious, Tonks has been acting as Bill and Fleur’s Observer for most of their courtship, though I hear that some other Coven members step in when she is called away for Auror duties.” 

Harry nods, “That seems reasonable, if a little weird. Anything else?” 

“We’ll set a general timeframe for the courtship.This is pretty standard as well.Courtships are traditionally initiated to precipitate Bonding, and are taken quite seriously in the Wizarding World.An important thing to note is that Courtships are not exclusive on the part of the Omega but they **are** on the part of the Alpha.So while you could hypothetically weigh several Alphas at once, for the length of the Courtship, Malfoy would only be able to formally consider you.This is driven by the disproportionate ratio of Alphas and Omegas.But its not fair to keep an Alpha on retainer forever.” 

This concept makes Harry a little queasy.“How long?” 

Hermione’s voice is gentle.“The longest we could probably propose is a year.” 

“And after?” 

“You’ll have to make a choice.Either commit to Malfoy or dissolve the courtship.If you commit, the terms of when you have to Bond can be negotiable, but you **will** have to Bond.You’ll be considered off the market to other Alphas and the assumption is that you’ll begin making preparations to join Malfoy’s Coven.” 

Ron broke in, “That’s the stage Bill and Fleur are in.They had a six month courtship and Fleur and her Coven gave the green light for Bonding just a week ago.They’re planning to Bond in March.” 

“So quick,” Harry mutters. 

“Well they are also a bit older,” Ron says, shrugging.“And there’s a War on.The alliance is something to consider in their case, even if they weren’t deeply interested in getting on with things on a personal level.” 

“Anything else?” 

“No,” Hermione shakes her head.“But you shouldn’t keep him waiting very long.I’d say we should send an answer by the morning.” 

Harry nods.“I’ll sleep on it,” he decides. 

“Maybe talk to Fleur too,” Ron suggests.“After all, she just went through it.” 

“Yeah.Yeah, maybe I’ll do that.” 

*** 

The Trio is summoned back to the house sometime around noon.Molly has sent Ginny off to collect them and the girl sends them off to the den area with an envious look before retreating back to the garden outside where Fred and George seem to have established enough of a peace to be enjoying a game of Exploding Snap, with a curious Fleur looking on. 

The rest of the holiday party is already congregated inside the now cramped space, in addition to several additional Order members.The room thrums with magic which Harry assumes are the many layers of secrecy spells that have been woven to conceal the Orders deliberations.Bill and Raphael are seated off to the side, the latter presumably acting as emissary for the newly allied Coven.Dumbledore is seated on what is typically “Arthur’s chair”, a well worn seat that has been pulled to sit at the head of the room.There are some summoned chairs seating other members strewn about the room and a few leaning against the walls.Severus Snape is one of these, sneering down his nose at the Trio as they linger in the doorway, unsure of what to do next.Mad-Eye Moody rolls his magical eye when he sees them, seated on one of the few cushioned seats available.Professor McGonagall is pointedly not reacting to their presence while Mundungus Fletcher taps his leg excitably, much to the annoyance of nearby Snape. 

The surprise is Kingsley Shacklebolt, newly appointed acting-Minister for Magic and obvious Alpha.The man is standing against a wall to the right of Dumbledore and he appraises the Trio with a tensed jaw when they walk in, Alpha scent clearly irritated. 

Looking around, Harry notes that there are no Omegas to be found. 

“Alpha Granger,” Dumbledore greets Hermione, smiling in that twinkling way of his.Hermione doesn’t react, but Harry knows her well enough to note the tension in her shoulders.She’s preparing herself for a fight.“We had hoped to grab a few moments with you to discuss some plans that might affect your Coven.By your request, we are willing to allow your Second and Omega to observe.” 

“How gracious of you, Headmaster,” Hermione returns, voice devoid of any particular emotion.No one moves to offer them a seat, though Bill is looking distinctly uncomfortable.Molly has her arms crossed in an uncharacteristic expression of ire from where she is seated, clearly still put out at Hermione’s insistence that Ron and Harry be present for this.

Shacklebolt looks even more cross at Hermione’s reply and lets out a huff.

“Let’s get on with it then.Granger.We have a Courting Proposal for your Omega we’d like you to accept,”Shacklebolt performs a quick spell and a shadowy figure of a roguishly handsome young man, early to mid-twenties appears.“This is Oberon Travers.The Travers family is one of the Sacred 28 families and in particularly strong standing among pureblooded circles.Oberon is the eldest son of the House and has spent much of his life in the states, a consequence of the First War.His mother was killed during the attack on Parallel Alley.His father sent him to live with an aunt, but he’s recently returned to Britain as his father has taken ill.Tonks has been assessing him since his return and working on forging an alliance between the Travers family an the Order.The Travers’ were officially neutral in the last War but we believe his mother’s death combined with his upbringing in America, which has isolated him from much of British pureblood society, has created a unique opportunity.”

Harry blinks in shock.Of all the things he had expected to happen during this meeting, this was not among them.He had imagined that there might be talk of additional training for him to prepare for the fight, but he’d never expected…what, selling him off for the sake of an alliance?He opens his mouth but Ron nudges him, hard, in the side.He subsides and looks at Hermione who is keeping a careful check on her overt reactions.He’s impressed to note that she’s managed to even keep her scent mostly under wraps, though a very slight scent of fury tickles his nose. 

“And what exactly does this have to do with my Omega?” Hermione asks, crossing her arms and glaring directly at the acting Minister. 

“Tonks?” Shacklebolt commands and the girl shoots to her feet, hair suddenly flowing out of her skull to fall down to her hips and turning a bright blue hue.Harry doesn’t think she does it consciously, her Metamorphous abilities such an ingrained part of her instincts.He wonders vaguely how she keeps it under wraps during her Auror work but assumes she must have her tricks. 

“Travers was born with a rare ancestral gift, specific to the Travers line,” Tonks says, excitably but slows down at Shacklebolt’s glare.Her hair turns dark black in reaction and her eye shade to gray.“He has magical immunity to most spells, though he can cast magic himself.Things like the Unforgivable Curses won’t work on him, as well as most direct spells.He’s an Alpha as well, and he’s begun to attract a fairly powerful Coven.No omega though, not yet.” 

“It’s a remarkable ability,” Shaklebolt says and Tonks takes her seat again, almost toppling her chair in her haste.Shaklebolt pointedly ignores the commotion, locking eyes with Hermione yet again.“If he should bond to Potter, the combination of his gift and access to the Omega’s raw fire power would make for an incredible advantage. Not to mention that this Coven he is putting together is comprised of several influential Alphas and Betas from other Sacred 28 houses, one of which we suspect has a fairly remarkable power of their own.” 

There’s silence for a minute, and tension mounts throughout the room.Finally Hermione uncrosses her arm and shifts her stance.Now she reveals the full magnitude of her anger with her scent, causing many of the Betas in the room to flinch.Harry, behind her, can’t abstain from letting out a low, alarmed mewl.This clearly doesn’t help his case as several gazes turn to appraise him and he fights the alarm from the Alpha scents swirling and tries to glare back at them.It is an effort with only minimal success. 

“No,” Hermione says. 

A beat.“No?” Shaklebolt echoes, disbelievingly.“No? That’s it?” 

“Harry’s not a pawn in some game.I’m not going to Bond him off to the first promising Alpha the Order wants to add to its War Chest.” 

“He’s an omega,” the acting-Minister spits.“A Bond is the best possible thing for him.” 

Harry shrinks back, appalled.Ron shifts a little in front of him, almost unconsciously guarding him from view. 

“Luckily, I’m his Alpha, not you.And as his Alpha, I will protect Harry’s right to choose what is best for him.You can’t negotiate with me on this.And I’ll remind you, that my Coven’s alliance to the Order is being assumed by the people in this room.One way to assure that we will not formalize that alliance is to create existential threats to the well-being of our Omega.” 

“Your Omega is the Boy-Who-Lived.I think the clearest existential threat to him is the Dark Lord,” Shacklebolt snaps.“I’m proposing something that will make him **safer**.Being an idealistic child won’t accomplish that goal.” 

Before Hermione can say anything further, doubtless something that will make their relationship with the Ministry untenable, Harry clears his throat.Reluctantly he steps out of Ron’s shadow and speaks to the group. 

“I’ll do it.Court him, I mean, not Bond him.I assume he’s actually interested?” he chances a glance at Tonks who stands up again. 

“Yes.I mentioned to him that you were currently unattached and potentially interested in courtship.He was….more than interested.I’m sure you’ll get a proposal at this point regardless of what happens here.” 

“Ok,” Harry mutters.“Ok.”He makes eye contact with Hermione who shrugs, looking a tad put out, but standing by what she said - he gets to make his own decisions about his future. 

“Look, I’ll court him but I’m not agreeing to Bond him.That’s my prerogative right?A year long contract, no shorter.I’ll consider him just like I would any other potential Alpha.We’ll go from there.I’ve never even met him, there’s no point in dismissing him out of hand.But he won’t be my only suitor.” 

That declaration gets a reaction from the rest of the room, several people shifting and muttering to their neighbors in lowered voices.Harry continues, “I will court at least one other and I'll make my own decision.If any other Alpha catches my eye, I won’t put them out of the running either.I assume this is a compromise everyone can live with?” 

After a moment, Shaklebolt nods. 

Harry turns on his heel and exits the room, Ron and Hermione flanking him.


End file.
